The Dumbing Down Of Love
by JustGidget
Summary: "The butterflies in his stomach had been lying to him and it was only in that instant that he realized it. He wondered just how long his traitor brain had been duping him. All he was sure of was that what he was beginning to feel for Blaine was very, very dangerous." AU. Klaine. age difference. older!Kurt.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is the most AU fanfiction that I have ever written, so it's going to be a bit of a challenge. But I'm supah excited. The idea for this fic was spawned from a prompt(ish? thing) that my girlfriend gave me and a really, really loved the idea and thought writing it would be really fun. I've got an outline all done up and know exactly how I'm ending so it'll be a much more smoother writing process than my other stories (hopefully, haha) Anyway, enough rambling. Hope you enjoy!**

**Warnings: Age difference.**

* * *

_The faculty at Foster's Academy for the Gifted are honored to extend an invitation to join our prestigious family for the 2013 Fall Semester._

_It is my personal pleasure to welcome you to Foster's Academy for the Gifted. Founded in 1895 by Theodore Foster, the school started off as a single two story hall. Foster's son's passion for the arts were his inspiration to open the school. The first of its kind in New York._

_Foster's Academy is a world renowned institution for gifted young men and women from around the world. The academy houses four buildings, our central Hall for the Arts being the largest. The others surrounding it house areas of study such as Mathematics, Natural Science and Literature. Because of the school's isolated nature, in order to promote focused study, all students are required to live on campus in our apartment style dormitories for their convenience. _

_We look forward to seeing you this fall and we hope you enjoy your time at the academy._

_Once again, congratulations on your success and enjoy the remainder of your summer vacation._

_Headmaster Alfred Newton._

"Get back to work, boy! We're not paying you to stand around dawdling!"

A smack to the back of his head and the letter was fluttering to the pavement. Blaine rubbed the tender spot on his head before glancing back at Old Margaret, as the students liked to call her. But not to her face, never to her face. The woman gave Blaine a pointed look before he turned to pick up the letter and toss it in the garbage.

"Don't spend your time day dreaming about things that'll never happen, Blaine." Her voice was softer now, though still held a firmness. "I've seen countless boys like you wishing for the impossible."

Blaine's father had been the groundskeeper at the academy for many years. He had worked here since Blaine was a baby. When Blaine was old enough, he had been hired to work under Margaret's watchful eye.

Blaine was quiet, avoiding Margaret's eyes as he reached for the rake and began working at the leaves. Fall was always his least favorite season. It meant the start of a new school year. It also meant he was a year older, further from his chance to finally have enough money to enroll.

Blaine Anderson had four younger sisters: Beth, Belinda, Bailey and Bri. Blaine hated that. It always got sort of confusing around the house. Their mother had passed away when Bri was three months old. Somehow, at the tender age of twelve, Blaine had taken the role of their mother, and more recently, their father, as Dad's health slowly deteriorated.

Rheumatic heart disease, the doctor's had told them. It was curable but terrifying. Dad couldn't work, because of the joint pain that he suffered from daily. They received aid from the government, but sometimes it wasn't enough. Blaine's job at school was what funded the little things his sisters didn't need, but deserved like a pretty dress for a birthday party or a trip to the movies.

Saving up for school now was harder than ever.

"We'll have to head inside soon, looks like it's gonna come down hard," Margaret said, peering up at the sky.

Blaine looked up, shaken out of his contemplation. Sure enough, he could see dark clouds slowly rolling in their direction. Thunder growled ominously and the wind whipped it's way through bony branches.

It was going to be a long year.

* * *

Blaine was only half soaked by the time he ran inside. He shook out his tangled hair, flinging water all over the newly waxed floor. He grinned at Margaret's exasperated face. "It's only a few drops of water, the kids at this school make a bigger mess than this every day," Blaine said as he reached into the coat closet and pulled out a sweater.

"Yes, but those kids are paying good money to be here," Margaret chided as Blaine tugged the sweater over his head. She patted Blaine's cheek before walking off, and called over her shoulder. "Give the upstairs boy's restroom a quick check for me, won't you?" Blaine nodded with a sigh as he patted down his unruly hair.

On his way up the stairs, a large group of boys flew past him. Blaine paused briefly at the top of the stairwell watching the students laughing loudly at something he couldn't make out before he went on his way.

There was another burst of laughter, this time coming from within one of the classrooms. One student darted out of the room, jogging towards the bathroom, leaving the classroom door propped open. Blaine peered in, stepping out of the way as a few students walked into the room.

Blaine had learned that the majority of the theater classes were taught in here, the room being one part lecture hall, one part stage. This wasn't the first time Blaine had eavesdropped on one of the classes. Each one hour session was different: sometimes he peered in on the beginning of Playwriting Practicum or watched the students move around during Advanced Stage Direction. Last year he had spied on nearly every Acting for Musical Theater lecture. All the classes were different but all were taught by the same professor. Through time, Blaine had gotten to know the professor from a distance. Professor Kurt Hummel.

Blaine glimpsed around the hall before entering the classroom and took a seat in the very back of the room away from other students who might recognize him. Blaine was very much aware that sitting through a class that he wasn't enrolled in was very much illegal. But professors had multiple classes with different faces so there was no way Professor Hummel would realize he wasn't a student.

Besides, Margaret would always say they were paid to blend in the background. So technically, Blaine figured as he pulled up his hood, he was doing his job.

When Professor Hummel walked in, Blaine almost changed his mind and thought maybe he should leave. But it was too late now. If he suddenly walked out the professor would most definitely notice.

The students around him took their seats and Blaine sank deeper into his seat, hiding behind the girl in front of him. Blaine kept his eyes focused on his hands as be lay them on the desk. The students continued chattering amongst each other. A few minutes passed and Blaine dared to look up at the professor to find the man staring straight at him.

Blaine's heart stopped.

The professor knew. Blaine watched him look down at his laptop and he took that opportunity to stand and calmly walk towards the door.

Though when the professor looked back up Blaine was anything but calm as he took off in a run, too afraid to look back.

What if Professor Hummel tells Headmaster Newton? What if Blaine is fined? Or arrested? What was the penalty for sneaking into a class? Blaine couldn't afford to lose his job. Literally could not afford it.

When Margaret found Blaine later that afternoon he was sitting in the empty theater auditorium crying.

By the time Blaine went home, he managed to compose himself. His family looked to him for strength. They couldn't see him break.

* * *

Days passed and Blaine didn't hear from the headmaster. He wondered if Professor Hummel had forgotten. Maybe he was so caught up in his lessons that he had pushed the incident into the back of his mind. Regardless, Blaine was grateful and he promised himself he would never attempt anything so reckless again. Not when his family's financial status was on the line.

After a week, Blaine had forgotten about it and went on as usual. It was a sunny day, fairly warm for October. Blaine took the opportunity late that morning to tend to the greenhouse; pulling out stray weeds and watering the plants. He was alone today, Margaret out sick with the flu. To ease the isolation, he filled the silence with singing having forgotten his mp3 player at home.

'I felt the earth beneath my feet. Sat by the river and it made me complete. Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.'

As he got closer to the chorus, his voice grew louder. No one ever came out here unless is was required for a class, and all of the students were in class at the moment, and it was far enough from the buildings that he wouldn't be disruptive.

'And if you have a minute, why don't we go? Talk about it somewhere only we know. This could be the end of everything. So, why don't we go somewhere only we know.'

Blaine bounced slightly to the tune in his head, nodding his head a bit. He began humming.

'This could be the end of everything. So why don't we go somewhere only we know?'

He continued to hum, and half way through he noticed movement a few feet away. Blaine's heart stuttered as he jumped back, instinctively grabbing at his chest. It was Professor Hummel. Blaine was at complete loss for words, face burning hot with embarrassment.

"That's quite a voice you've got," Professor Hummel stated as he reached out to touch a gladiolus, long fingers gently running over the flower pedals as he looked down at it.

Blaine mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Professor Hummel's hand dropped to his side as he looked back down at Blaine. "You were the boy who snuck into my class room last week, weren't you? You are aware that sneaking into a class is illegal, correct? Technically, it is stealing."

Blaine held his breath, silently praying that this was just a dream that he would soon wake up from. Unfortunately, it all felt too real. "Yeah," he finally breathed out. Before Professor Hummel could say anything else, Blaine continued, "Please, don't tell anyone," he begged, "I can't lose my job. I need it-"

"Hey," Professor Hummel cut off gently, "Calm down, if I was planning on telling someone, I'd have done it already. I won't tell."

Blaine sighed, relief flooding over him. "Thank you," he said gratefully.

"But," Professor Hummel continued.

_Shit._

"On one condition."

"Yeah?" Blaine questioned, wary.

"You help me grade papers. And help clean my house. It's the cottage a few miles down the road."

Blaine nodded.

"So, what do you say?" Professor Hummel held out his hand.

Blaine took it and they shook hands. "Alright," he said.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are very much loved!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. Hopefully I've still got some people following the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

At Foster's Academy the school musical was the biggest event of the year. It wasn't just any old school musical. The school was bursting with gifted young adults, housing the best of the best when it came to not just intelligence, but sheer talent. Every year, the academy would rent out the the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to put on whatever musical the students had decided on. Last year, Foster's had put on Chicago and saying that it was a success was a vast understatement. Every seat to every show had been filled from opening to closing night. A few students had even been discovered by Broadway producers and now they were calling the Great White Way home.

This year's pitch was West Side Story, one of Blaine's favorite musicals. He knew every song by heart and could recite almost every scene from memory. If there was something Blaine wanted more than to become a student at the academy, it was to be a part of the school musical. It was far fetched, pretty much impossible actually, Blaine knew that. But he couldn't help but hope that by some streak of dumb luck his silly little wish would come true.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Blaine entered the main hall that morning. He pulled off his jacket, shivering slightly as he hung up the jacket and shut the coat closet door. Blaine glanced at the bulletin board hanging on the opposite wall. Printed on a large paper, bold letters read "West Side Story auditions. Tuesday, October 15 at 7 PM." He walked up to the board, silently staring at the paper. He always thought it was a little unfair limiting the auditions to just students. Technically Blaine was a part of the Academy, right? He wasn't a student, but he was employed by the school.

"Hey."

Blaine nearly jumped, turning to see who was quickly growing to become a familiar face. He let out a sigh before looking around at the empty hall. He hadn't even heard Professor Hummel approaching him. "You've got to stop sneaking up on me like that," Blaine breathed.

Professor Hummel laughed softly and gave Blaine an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to." Blaine saw him give a quick glance to the board before focusing his attention back on Blaine. "I just wanted to ask if you were free later today. I have a few papers you can help me grade."

"Yeah, sure." Blaine shifted slightly. Professor Hummel had probably seen him gawking at the bulletin board. "I'm done at 4 o'clock today."

"Perfect, my last class ends at 4:30. I'll meet you outside of the room B214. You know, the class you tried to sneak in to," he teased.

Blaine laughed nervously. Professor Hummel seemed to notice he was still slightly shaken.

"I'm joking," Professor Hummel said, touching Blaine's arm briefly. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," Blaine acknowledged as he watched Professor Hummel leave.

* * *

Professor Hummel's cottage truly looked like something out of a movie. He was reminded of Miss. Honey's cottage from the movie Matilda, and frankly, Blaine felt a little giddy at the thought. As they approached the little cabin, Blaine noticed a small, green gate that reached a little past his knees, set in a weathered stone wall. Thick vines crept up around it, weaving their way past the windows and framing the door, which was painted the same green as the little gate. Blaine had never been inside, but the moment he walked through the threshold after Professor Hummel, he felt at home.

"Sorry it's a bit of a mess," Professor Hummel said pushing a few boxes into a corner and out of their way. "I moved in a couple of months ago and I haven't had much of a chance to unpack."

"You live alone?" Blaine found himself asking before he realized it, feeling a little guilty for asking such a personal question. Professor Hummel didn't seem the least bit bothered.

"Yeah," he said without a moment's hesitation. "It's taking a bit getting used to. When I lived in the city I was rooming with my best friend. But driving to campus every day was starting to get a little time consuming. When they offered me a full time position, the school offered to move me in here so," Professor Hummel shrugged, "I couldn't turn down the offer. This place is beautiful," he said, looking around, almost as if he still hadn't gotten used to how much of a fairy tale cottage this little place looked like. "So," he said as he weaved his way around the boxes and to the dining room table. Blaine followed.

"It's fairly simple," Professor Hummel said as he took a seat and motioned for Blaine to do the same. He plopped down a stack of messy papers in front of him. "Just use that red pen and circle any thing that's misspelled. The paper should be no longer than one page, just the front. If there's anything written on the back, cross it out."

Blaine nodded and soon they fell into a comfortable silence.

Blaine was the first to break it. "Professor Hummel, do you have another pen? This one died." He handed Blaine a pen and they fell back into their work.

After a few moments, Professor Hummel spoke up again. "You can call me Kurt, by the way," he said without looking up from the paper.

Blaine paused to look up at him. Kurt looked at him then, eyes bright. He looked strangely young in the late afternoon light.

"Sure," Blaine agreed, feeling a smile creeping at the corner of his mouth before returning his attention to the paper.

* * *

A little over an hour had passed before they finished the first set of papers. Kurt put them away and pulled out the second stack of papers. "Same rules apply," Kurt said, handing Blaine half of the stack and starting on his own.

"How long have you been working at the school?" Kurt asked to Blaine's surprise.

"Since I was sixteen," Blaine said, "I turn eighteen in February."

"Are you going to school?" Kurt questioned curiously.

Blaine shook his head. "I had to, um, drop out when I started working here," he admitted, voice quiet and frankly a little embarrassed. "The job was demanding and and we needed the money." Why was he talking about this? _Stop talking._

Kurt stared openly. Blaine's head sunk slightly in response and he looked down at the paper lying beneath his hands. He focused on the neat writing on the page. Anna Pritchett. _Nice handwriting, Anna. I wish I had nice handwriting like that._

"Did you parents make you drop out?" Kurt asked, his voice softened with concern.

"I, uh. My mom, she died when I was eleven and my dad's recovering from heart problems. He's going to be alright, but he's too weak to work while he recovers. I decided to take this job to help him pay bills. I have four younger sisters."

"I'm sorry," was all Kurt said in response.

Blaine had heard those two words and countless variations from distant relatives, family friends, even strangers, more times than he could remember. It was the predictable reaction from people when they learned that Blaine's mother was dead and his father was ill. He knew they meant well but he couldn't stand the generic greeting card sentiment, like people didn't know what else to say. He hated the pity even more. So instead of shooting back one of the many go-to 'thank you's or 'that's very kind's or 'it's alright's he had stored up in his arsenal of responses, Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat. When Kurt had said it, it sounded so much like the truth, it made Blaine's heart ache.

Blaine shook his head as he looked down at the paper, "It's fine," he said honestly. "It really sounds a lot worse than it is. We make enough money to get by. We don't live in a tiny shack or on the streets. With the bit of extra money that I make, I can take my sisters out to the movies and things like that. And my dad is getting better. It's a slow process, but he's getting there." When Blaine looked up and across the table at Kurt, the older man was smiling softly, eyes warm.

"So, four little sisters, huh?" Kurt said as he scribbled on the paper he was working on.

Blaine chuckled. "This morning they thought it would be funny to put a frog in my bed. I _hate_ frogs."

* * *

Blaine didn't notice the sun setting that evening. It was when Kurt asked him what time he needed to be home that Blaine realized he was running incredibly late. He looked at the time and quickly stood, nearly knocking the chair over. "Oh, man," Blaine muttered under his breath, fixing the papers he had made a mess of in his haste to stand. "My dad's gonna kill me."

"Do you need a ride?" Kurt asked, watching Blaine.

_No, oh god no. _His dad would definitely start asking all sorts of questions and Blaine couldn't tell him what was going on.

"It's fine, I don't live too far. I take a short cut that gets me home faster anyway." Well, _that_ wasn't a complete lie.

Blaine was gathering his bag and jacket when Kurt stopped him halfway to the door, calling out to him. He turned, blinking.

"If you ever need to talk about, you know, your family and what you're going through, I'm here," he offered, "Been there, done that."

Blaine didn't ask questions despite his curiosity. His family was waiting and he was already running late. Instead, he nodded, smiling. "Thank you," he said before ducking out the door, realizing just how much he meant it.

* * *

"You're late, Blaine."

It was the first thing Blaine heard when he shut the door behind him. It came from the kitchen in a voice that could only belong to an irritated father.

"Sorry," Blaine called, dropping his bag by the door as Bri came barreling down the hall, nearly knocking the air out of Blaine as she ran straight into his stomach and tightened her little arms around his waist in an embrace.

"You're home, you're home!" she chanted. "And you're a _liar!_" she accused, stepping back to glare up at Blaine. Beth walked past the two, tossing a "You promised her you'd teach her how to play Monopoly," over her shoulder. Once she was in the kitchen, she hollered, "You're, like, five hours late."

"Stop exaggerating, Beth, I'm only half an hour late," Blaine said, pushing Bri's bangs away from her forehead to press a kiss there. "This Sunday, I promise," he told her.

"Where have you been?" his dad asked when Blaine stepped into the kitchen to begin setting up the table.

"At the school. I'm gonna be working late a couple nights a week," he lied. "I'm helping set up for the musical." He looked over his shoulder at his dad's reaction which, to his relief, was a simple nod. Blaine hated lying, especially to his family. It always made him feel sick with guilt. His mother spent the last years of her life lying and keeping secrets and it almost destroyed their family. She had done it with good intentions, but the results were anything but.

"Just let me know next time, alright, kid?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course, dad."

* * *

Blaine went over to Kurt's house two more times that week. They agreed that Blaine would help after school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Thankfully, Blaine's father hadn't asked about his staying out longer than usual again and Blaine made sure he didn't come home late again.

It was the start of a new week and it was Blaine's turn to open the school this morning. A thick fog had rolled in some time during the night, making his walk to school a grueling exercise in visibility. He had tripped over two tree roots, nearly fallen into the lake, and slipped butt first into a muddy puddle before the tall iron gates of Foster's even came into view. His delays gave Blaine no time for coffee, which explained why he nearly tripped up the stairs on his way into the main hall.

Blaine hated opening duty.

Margaret promised him the school was looking for extra help, maybe a kid around his age. Hopefully that meant Blaine wouldn't have to open the school as often. Once the drapes were pushed opened, doors unlocked and classrooms open, Blaine made his way into the employee lounge in the main hall and turned on the television. He settled on one of the couches, bundling up in his jacket and pulling up the hood.

_"Foster's Academy has just released news that this year they will be presenting a classic for their Artist's Showcase at the Lincoln Center: West Side Story. After last year's Chicago success, locals are thrilled at the news. On today's show, we will be interviewing first time musical director, Artie Abrams, so stay tuned. Kim Kardashian will also be here this morning talking about the baby and future wedding plans."_

Blaine glared at the television, a tiny wave of jealousy washing over him at the mention of the musical. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and picked up the remote. He flipped the channel to Cartoon Network and prayed that nobody would be breaking out into song.

* * *

That afternoon Kurt left Blaine alone at the cottage for short while. He instructed Blaine to unpack the boxes that were lined up against a small piano while he drove to the store to buy a shelf for his books. The silence in the house should have been eerie, but it was strangely comforting. He loved looking after his siblings and the closeness of family he felt wherever he turned, but Blaine couldn't help but admit how relaxing it was to be alone.

The last two boxes that Blaine unpacked contained nothing but books. The first held a hodge podge of literary genres: trashy romance novels, encyclopedias, Shakespeare, science fiction, Greek essays, text books and graphic novels. The second was stacked to the top with song books. Blaine peered out the window, checking for Kurt's car. He looked down at the two piles. Would Kurt mind if he looked through them? It wasn't like it was anything personal.

Blaine sat down on the floor. ABBA, Wicked, Sondheim, West Side Story, Disney, Adele, Phantom of The Opera. And that was just one pile. Blaine picked up the West Side Story book and carried it over to the piano. He flipped through the pages and stopped when he found the song he was looking for, Something's Coming. He propped the book against the music rack.

With a final glance towards the door Blaine began playing the opening notes. In seconds he was free falling into the music. He sang loudly, passionately. There were moments where he found himself lifting off the piano bench, fingers pressing firmly against the keys. He closed his eyes, for a few moments, wondering what it would feel like to sing in front of people. He wondered what people would think and if he was any good. _No._ He knew he was good enough, so why couldn't they give him a chance?

_"And something great is coming…"_

Just one chance.

The front door clicked shut. Blaine's stomach dropped.

_Shit._

The notes faltered and died, hanging in the air. Blaine quickly closed the book, picked it up and stood. When he turned, Kurt was standing at the door, closing it behind him. Should he apologize? Blaine was here to help Kurt out, not mess with his piano. His heart was racing as he watched Kurt set his keys down.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked. "Don't you want to finish the song?"

Blaine's mouth nearly dropped open. He looked at the piano and then at Kurt who laughed quietly. "Stage fright?" he asked.

Blaine shook his head. "No. I mean, kind of. But-You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Kurt questioned with another laugh. "You're actually really good. Well, from the tiny bit that I heard when I walked in." He walked towards Blaine and took the book from him, setting it back on the piano. "Go on, let me hear what you've got, Anderson. From what I heard, you're definitely good enough to audition for the musical."

_Wait, what?_

"I-What?" Blaine blurted out.

"The school musical," Kurt repeated slowly with an arch of his brow. "West Side Story? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I know. But, it's for students only. I can't…"

"Sure you can," Kurt waved him off dismissively. "Now sit." He pointed at the piano bench. "Something's Coming. Go."

Somehow unpacking boxes and putting together a book shelf turned into sharing songs and playing the piano. This chore of "helping Kurt around the house" was turning into something pretty awesome.

* * *

"Time really does fly when you're having fun," Blaine said after about an hour of playing. He saw Kurt drop his head and laugh. "What?" Blaine asked defensively.

"Nothing you just…" Kurt giggled before looking over at Blaine from his side of the piano bench. "That just sounds like something my dad would say."

Blaine pouted as Kurt bumped their shoulders and stood closing the songbook. "Help me bring in the bookshelf before you leave," he said as he walked towards the front door. Blaine followed.

Once back inside, Kurt handed Blaine the songbook. "Take this home with you," he insisted. "Use it to rehearse for your audition."

"Wait, you were…serious about that?" Blaine asked as he took the book. "I really don't think-"

Kurt shook his head. "Don't worry about a thing. Now go. You're going to be late for dinner."

Blaine grabbed his bag and slipped the book in. As he pulled on his jacket, he faced Kurt. "Thanks for this," he muttered, despite the doubt clawing at the back of his mind.

Kurt shrugged. "Don't thank me just yet. You need to get the part first."

Blaine smiled and waved before walking out. The moment he was out of Kurt's sight, his smile faded. He had too much experience with being promised the impossible.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are very much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Introducing Kurt Hummel**_

Ever since he was a child, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel's dreams had been big. Much bigger than little old Lima, Ohio. He had always hated Lima and it's bleak single story brownstone buildings and whitewashed inhabitants and its one shopping mall. He hated the way the parents looked at him as he danced at his kindergarten ballet recital in a tutu as pink as cotton candy. He hated when his teachers forced him play football, and basketball, and soccer with the other boys when all he wanted to do was help the girls coordinate their barbie's outfits. But Kurt was not an angry child. His mother would tell him, as they sat on lawn chairs over tea and biscuits eaten on a wobbly patio table, how he was destined for greatness. He was surrounded by people that didn't understand him because he had talent that was too much for ordinary people to handle. She told him about the songs she would sing to him when he was still in her belly, how he would move and dance to them as she rubbed it. She told him about how special he was, how unique, and how lucky a mother she was to have him. He could do anything, she said, as long as he always followed his heart and believed in his dreams. He loved her even more for that.

When she died, Lima felt more like a prison than it ever had. It was a place that swallowed happiness and stamped out hope. Kurt closed himself off in his room for days. He cried until his eyes and nose were red and raw. He missed school for a week. He barely ate. He thought about his mother and what she wanted for him and how everything seemed so impossibly far away.

Kurt's father had driven him to Columbus the summer following, to see Peter Pan. It was the first play he had ever seen. Being there was like visiting another world, one filled with culture and drama, of bustling city life. Of beautiful, well dressed people and glamorous buildings and music that thrummed with energy. The theater was lovely, all gilded with gold and draped with thick velvet curtains. The show was thrilling. He felt like the hero in a fairytale, whisked away from every trouble to come to a new land with new wonders for him to explore. When Tinkerbell burst back from the brink of death, urged on by the clapping of the audience, his father told him it was the first time he saw him smile since his mother had passed. He had almost flown off the seat for a standing ovation once the cast gathered on stage fort their final bow. Something magical had happened that Kurt couldn't explain, something that had filled him with joy and resolve. After that, he was insatiable. He quickly discovered that as wonderful as Columbus had seemed, it was like comparing a pebble to a boulder. He would spend hours poring over magazines and books about Chicago, London, San Francisco, New York. He knew one day he would be there, in a huge sparkling city to be part of that magic, to be a performer. That day had come as a senior in high school, when the McKinley High Glee Club had the gracious opportunity to compete in New York City. In one short hour he and his best friend, Rachel Berry, had come to the conclusion that, come hell or high water, they would be moving here after graduation, to make their home under the bright lights of Broadway.

It was wonderful. It took Kurt less than a month to acclimate, and once he reached that; there was no stopping Kurt Hummel. Attending NYADA was a journey of self-discovery for Kurt. His dreams changed. At first, he denied it. He had been so sure of his plans for so long, and the sudden change of heart seemed to come out of left field. It smacked him hard and it stung for a few days. The moment Kurt accepted it, though, it was like some huge weight was lifted off of his body.

Kurt had never considered teaching before. Sure, there was the old saying: those who can't, teach. Rachel teased him mercilessly about it. But if Kurt knew anything about himself, it was that he most definitely _could_, and Broadway dreams, however hard they were to tuck away, would always be there if he ever wanted them again. Teaching gave him pride and respect, something he lacked terribly for most of his young life. Most importantly, he was good at it. He knew how to talk to people, how to push them when they weren't giving him enough, knew when to withdraw so they could express themselves on their own. He was calm, charismatic, patient, relentless, encouraging, and above all, he loved his students. He fell into his first job as a Teacher's Assistant at NYADA with ease. A few years later, he landed a job at NYU as a full fledged professor. It was intimidating at first. The classes were big, much bigger than NYADA. But like Kurt always managed to do, he adapted.

After eight years of working at NYU, Kurt was visited by a representative from Foster's Academy, who offered him a job at their small, elite academy in the countryside, two hours outside the city. He thought it was a joke. He had been teaching for almost half of his life and never heard of such a school. He politely declined. The serious, petite woman they sent explained that he came highly recommended and the benefits of such a career would be many. She pressed him to at least consider it. What business did he have at some little school in the middle of nowhere? Why would he give up his position at a university like NYU for a position at a school he barely knew about? At her insistence, Kurt agreed to visit the campus. She left a pamphlet on his desk. He flipped through it. At the very least, it looked beautiful.

Beautiful was one way to put it. The moment Kurt stepped foot on campus, his tune immediately changed. Foster's Academy was truly like no other school. A quick tour of the lecture halls from the headmaster and a trip to the theater for an impromptu performance from the Fourth year students was all the convincing he needed.

Kurt was in love. There was something about this place that reminded him of home that he found strangely comforting. He never thought he would miss Lima, but sometimes being here had him feeling little bursts of nostalgia for his time in Glee Club.

By his second year of teaching, the school offered to move him into a small house a few miles away from the campus. Kurt accepted immediately.

On more than one occasion, Kurt found himself wondering what his life would have been like if he attended Foster's instead of McKinley as a teenager. Would he be any different? Better? Worse? Sometimes, Kurt envied what his students had. There was no shortage of brilliance here, the programs that the teachers run put any college in the city to shame. Every student here could sing better, dance better, and act better than the next.

There was one individual who stood out, though. One boy who wasn't even a student.

Blaine Anderson.

He was bright and so very talented. Kurt could tell how much he wanted to enroll even though Blaine never spoke a word about it. He could _feel _it rolling off of Blaine in waves. Kurt had caught that painful little look in Blaine's eyes last week. He had been waiting for Kurt right outside a classroom, watching the students spill out of the room, laughing and talking amongst themselves. It was heart breaking. Kurt couldn't bring himself to say anything.

But that afternoon, Kurt walked in on Blaine while he was singing. He was stunned. He knew Blaine had no professional training, yet he managed to play and sing beautifully. His talent was raw, unrefined. Not smoothed and tweaked from years of training, untouched by critique. It was bigger than his body. It was free.

Kurt was fully aware of the talent scouts that attended all the performances. He wanted Blaine to be successful and he wanted people to see everything Blaine was capable of.

Like hell Kurt was going to keep his mouth shut about Blaine's talent. The boy wanted that audition. He was very much aware of the regulations when it came to the school musical. It was reserved for students only and Blaine seemed to know that too. Kurt could only hope that there was a chance that he could help change the faculty's mind.

* * *

"Artie, can I talk to you for a second?"

The younger man looked up at Kurt, eyebrow rising in question. There was a classroom full of students in front of them, half of the kids staring curiously in their direction.

"Sure," Artie said after a moment, rolling away from his desk. Kurt walked ahead of him, holding the door open and shutting it once they were both out in the hall.

"You're directing the musical this year, right?" Kurt asked.

"That is correct," he said, crossing his arms, expression a little suspicious. "You can't audition, you know."

"I wasn't going to ask that," Kurt snapped, looking off to the side for a moment. So Kurt asked if he could audition last year and was shut down almost immediately. He just really missed theater and singing in front of an audience. Was that such a crime? His dreams had changed, but his love for performance had not.

"Then what is it?" Artie asked.

"The kid who works for Margaret. Blaine Anderson—"

"The _groundskeeper's son?_ No way, dude. He's not even a student here."

"I know, I know," Kurt said in a hushed tone. "But he really wants to audition and he's really talented. He's been helping me grade papers and I heard him singing the other day and he's actually really good."

"Kurt, I can't just let him audition," Artie said, uncrossing his arms. "I mean, come on, he's a freaking janitor. Look, I trust you. If you say he's talented, he's talented, but Headmaster Newton would be so pissed if I let that happen. You know how exclusive these auditions are. Kids pass out and get eating disorders from how hard they practice just to get a chance to be part of this thing."

"What if I talk to him?" Kurt asked. "I'll talk to the headmaster. He likes me. He'll say yes."

Artie's eyebrows hiked as he stared at Kurt. After a few moments, he sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm only doing this because we've been friends forever."

Kurt clapped his hands together, nearly letting out a squeak of delight. "Thank you, Artie," he said, tossing his arms around his friend and stepping back. "I'll get back to you tomorrow!"

Kurt's confidence was a bluff. The part about Headmaster Newton liking Kurt was true. He was the one who had decided to have the academy pay for Kurt's stay at the cottage. So, yes, Kurt knew that the headmaster was fond of Kurt as a professor. He had expressed that he loved Kurt's teaching tactics and the students seemed to really like him, too.

Kurt's suggestion about allowing Blaine to audition was almost immediately shut down. Headmaster Newton wasn't as snappy as Artie had been. He was confused, actually. Kurt explained everything, leaving out the part about Blaine's attempt to sneak into his classroom.

With a bit of sweet-talking and promises on serving as an after school tutor on Saturdays, Kurt convinced the headmaster to allow Blaine one chance. Kurt thanked him about five times, peeking his head through the door one last time on his way out to say thank you one final time. Headmaster Newton laughed and waved Kurt away.

* * *

When Kurt pulled into the driveway in front of his house, Blaine was already waiting, sitting down by the front door. When he noticed Kurt's car, he looked up and stood, brushing off his jeans. As Kurt approached the door Blaine waved at him with a smile.

"Hey," Kurt greeted as he unlocked the door. "You know, you don't have to walk here," he said, pushing the door open, allowing Blaine to walk in first, "I can give you a ride. You're not my _slave_, Blaine."

The boy laughed. "Don't worry about it, I don't mind walking. I'm used to it."

"Nonsense," Kurt said, setting down his keys by the door and walking into the kitchen. "From now on, I'm giving you a ride whether you like it or not."

"But I—"

"Nope, not listening," Kurt cut off.

"Kurt—"

"Not listening," Kurt sang as he pulled open the refrigerator door and grabbed a bottle of water for himself and tossed one to Blaine who barely caught it as he sighed, rolling his eyes with a hint of a smile.

"I have good news for you, though," Kurt said as he twisted the cap off of the bottle and took a sip. Blaine stared, wide-eyed and expectant.

"Yeah?" the boy asked after a moment, sounding so very hopeful, youthful innocence bleeding through that single word.

"I talked to Headmaster Newton and he said you're welcome to audition for West Side Story," Kurt said, trying to keep himself from grinning proudly, but failing miserably.

"Really?" Blaine breathed. He looked like he was going to float away with pure joy.

"Kurt Hummel does not joke about such things," Kurt responded.

"Oh my god," Blaine muttered softly, looking away from Kurt touching his head in disbelief. He looked like he might faint.

"Don't pass out on me," Kurt warned, half joking.

"I'm—No, I'm fine." Blaine looked in Kurt's direction. "Sorry, but…" he paused, looking down at his feet for a moment and then back up, "Why are doing this for me?"

There were a few moments of silence between them and Kurt panicked briefly because he didn't have an answer to Blaine's question. Did he have a legitimate reason for trying so hard? It was at that moment that Kurt realized that he really went out of his way to get Blaine this audition. Talent. Of course. It was the talent that needed a chance to shine.

"Because I've seen way too many gifted kids throw away their chances because of reasons they thought were beyond their control," Kurt finally said. "I went to high school with so many kids who were bursting with talent, but were too afraid to do something with it because they were afraid of being ridiculed."

_Nice save._

"Oh," Blaine said softly. After a moment, he nodded. "Thank you, Kurt. I mean it. Thank you so much. I don't think you realize how much this means to me." His eyes were bright and wide and so very honest. There was so much emotion in those huge, honey hazel eyes. Much more than anything Kurt had ever seen. It was beautiful.

"Oh, I think I have somewhat of an idea," Kurt said through a small smile. "We should get to work, though," he added with a nod. "That book shelf isn't going to build itself."

* * *

Kurt really should have been prepared for the tension and frustration that his little interference was going to cause. His excitement at securing Blaine the audition had almost masked the glares and downright malcontent he felt oozing from the eyes of students and faculty alike. The school was in an uproar.

"Professor, is it true?"

Kurt glanced up from his laptop. Standing on the other side of his desk was Quinn Fabray, on either side of her Santana and Brittany. Kurt always wondered if those two were more than friends. They held hands an awful lot and he could have sworn he saw them kiss in his classroom at least twice since the beginning of the semester.

"Is what true?" Kurt asked.

"Hello? That you're the reason that weird little grass cutter is auditioning for the musical this year," Santana whispered harshly.

"It's not fair, Professor Hummel," Quinn said. "We all worked very hard to get into this school. That kid doesn't even go here, he shouldn't be allowed."

"I think it's all a part of his evil plan to use his hobbit powers to take over the school," Brittany supplied.

"First of all," Kurt began, "He's not a hobbit. His name is Blaine. Second, you three are being really cruel. He works just as hard as you girls. Maybe not in the same way, but he does work hard and he deserves to audition. The headmaster approved it, so it's alright for him to do it."

"He's probably not even that good, anyway," Quinn remarked haughtily. "That's why he's not a student here, right?"

"Then I guess that means you have nothing to worry about," Kurt retorted. "If he has no talent, then he's no threat to everyone else."

"I used to think you were cool," Santana snapped as she narrowed her eyes at Kurt.

Kurt sighed and rubbed his temples. "Go back to your seats, we're not going to discuss this."

Quinn shook her head before turning and walking away, followed by Santana. Brittany lingered for a moment and whispered, "Don't tell Santana 'cause she'll get mad, but I believe in Mr. Hobbit. Tell him I'm rooting for him." Before Kurt could respond, she was bouncing away and plopping back down on her seat next to Santana.

* * *

"Are you nervous?"

Kurt stood next to Blaine near the door that led into the small theater. Blaine glanced over at Kurt and his wide eyes said everything. Kurt chuckled and touched Blaine's shoulder. "You'll be fine," he promised.

"I overheard people talking about me today," Blaine admitted, looking back towards the door.

Kurt's heart stuttered and broke a little. He was suddenly reminded of a smaller, younger version of himself. A mentally abused boy who forced himself to tune out all the mean things kids at school said about him. All the terrible names they would yell across the hall at him, the phantom bruises left by many a locker. "Ignore it," Kurt said immediately. "Don't listen to what they say."

The boy nodded silently in response.

Kurt reached out to grab his shoulder gently. "Blaine," he muttered. "Alright? Don't think about any of that stuff when you're up on that stage. Just like in the cottage, alright? Like it's just you and me and that old piano."

Blaine nodded again, but this time he looked up at Kurt and said. "Yeah. Okay."

The door opened and a young woman Kurt recognized as a new professor peeked out. "Blaine Anderson?" she asked.

Blaine walked through the door and Kurt felt the butterflies in his stomach ripping themselves apart.

The moment it slammed shut, Kurt hurried up the stairs to the second floor, where the balcony seats were situated. He arrived just as Artie asked what song Blaine would be singing.

Blaine blinked against the stage lights. It was so painfully obvious this was the first time the boy had set foot on any kind of stage. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Blaine asked, raising a hand to shield the lights from his eyes.

"Just start," Artie sighed.

Blaine nodded, lowering his hand. He turned, walking up stage and briefly nodding to the band. The music started up and Kurt's heart clenched.

"_Could be…"_

Blaine turned and faced his small audience. From one moment to the next, there was a change in him. The nervous, small boy suddenly seemed much bigger.

"_Who knows…"_

Kurt could see his eyes shining bright against the lights. There was a tiny smile on his face. There it was.

"_There's something due any day, I will know right away, soon as it shows…"_

It was like there was this energy built up inside him that Blaine was finally releasing through his performance. It was intoxicating. Kurt was blown away by the sheer passion in which Blaine delivered. The last time he saw such feeling in a performance was with Rachel Berry.

Kurt's heart was stuttering and melting all at the same time.

Kurt glanced over at the judges. He watched them exchange looks before returning their attention to the ball of energy on stage.

"_Something's coming I don't know what it is, but it is, gonna be great. With click, with a shock, phone'll jingle, door'll knock…"_

Blaine held his arms out and raised his eyes up towards the ceiling with this tiny smirk on his face that made Kurt's stomach flip in a way that was awfully disconcerting. Because, what the hell? He felt giddy all of the sudden. Must be his nerves.

"_Around the corner, or whistling down the river. Come on deliver to me…"_

Blaine ran up stage, gracefully weaving through the band. Kurt couldn't help the tiny laugh that escaped him at the sight.

By the end of the performance, Kurt was smiling stupidly, gripping the railing as Blaine belted out the final note. It seemed so incredibly natural for him.

There was a burst of applause coming from the faculty who watched. Blaine bowed his head, laughing a bit, chest heaving just slightly. "Thank you," he said, a little short of breath.

"I _so_ want to give you a standing ovation right now," Artie said, "and boy was I wrong about you. Why aren't you a student here again?"

"I—"

"That was rhetorical," Artie said, chuckling. "Wow, though. Wow, _wow._ That was incredible. We will…" Artie looked between the two women sitting on either side of him. They nodded briefly "…keep in touch," Artie finished.

Kurt's eyes flooded with pride. They had watched Blaine, _his Blaine. _They had loved him, as he knew they would. They were going to give him the part. They had to.

Blaine seemed to hover on the stage, beaming under the auditoriums glaring lights. He graciously nodded and exited the stage and Kurt could have sworn he could fly.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kurt found Blaine at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him. The moment they locked eyes, Kurt and Blaine burst into joyous laughter. And the moment Blaine was within reach, Kurt tugged the boy into a tight hug. It was at that instant that Kurt realized it was the first time they shared any kind of physical contact besides a simple handshake, or an accidental shoulder brush. It was over as quickly as it began.

"So," Blaine asked sheepishly, "I did alright?"

Kurt just laughed.

The butterflies in his stomach had been lying to him and it was only in that instant that he realized it. He wondered just how long his traitor brain had been duping him. All he was sure of was that what he was beginning to feel for Blaine was very, very dangerous.

* * *

_**A/N:** Reviews are very much appreciated and loved!_


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine had never been an impatient boy. Helping his father raise four younger siblings made sure of that.

But the next few days following his audition were painstakingly slow and Blaine was about ready to burst with anticipation. It started with Blaine's difficulty focusing at work. Margaret scolded him on so many occasions, Blaine lost count. He knew it was serious when her trademark irritation became replaced with genuine concern. Blaine laughed a little when she asked if his family was alright. When he told her he was nervous about his audition, her worried eyes switch back to that stern glare. Blaine couldn't help but laugh when she rolled her eyes at him.

"The new kid starts today," Margaret informed him as she handed a rake to Blaine then reached for her own. "I'm going to need some extra help. And since you'll be so busy with rehearsal for your show..."

Blaine looked over at her and laughed a little sheepishly. "I haven't gotten the part-"

"Not yet," Margaret corrected and the way she said it made it feel like fact. These were the moments that made Blaine cherish his job and the woman he worked with. "His name's Samuel Evans, but he said he prefers Sam," Margaret continued, "He'll be joining you in the greenhouse this afternoon."

* * *

Sam was late. Twenty minutes late, so far.

With a sigh, Blaine rolled his eyes. What was the point of hiring new help if the guy wasn't going to do the job right? Punctuality was important.

Across the green house, the door creaked open and snapped shut. Blaine looked up from the flowers he was watering.

The hose almost slipped out of his hand.

When Blaine pictured Sam, he definitely was not expecting this. To be honest, Blaine hadn't had time to create a mental image for the new addition to their team. He just knew Tall, Broad Shoulders and Blonde Hair Guy seemed like he'd be more at home on the football team than standing in a greenhouse, wearing an smudged apron, clutching a pink watering can in his gloved hands.

Sam smiled and waved a little. He looked like had emerged fresh from the pages of a dime-store romance novella.

He also had really nice lips.

"Hey, I'm Sam. Sam I am. And I don't like green eggs and ham."

Blaine's eyebrows hiked at the strange introduction, but it managed to get a small laugh out of him.

"Hi, I'm Blaine and I...don't really have Dr. Seuss rhymes to go with my introduction."

Sam shrugged, "It's cool," he said with a crooked smile that made Blaine's stomach flip.

"So," Blaine said a little too loudly for his liking, "this is the green house." He gestured around, "and there's another hose over there." He pointed behind Sam. "I'm sure you've watered plants before?" Blaine questioned.

Sam nodded. "Oh, totally. My little sister got this obsession with gardening, like, a year ago and and she makes me help her with it."

Blaine pressed his lips together to keep himself from grinning stupidly. He nodded with a laugh, "Cool."

From there, they talked for the remainder of their time in the green house. When they moved on to pulling the weeds from flower pots, Sam asked about Blaine's siblings.

"I have five sisters."

"Five? Holy crap, dude. Do they, like, put make up on you when you're asleep and stuff like that?"

Blaine hesitated because it was scary how right Sam was. "...Yeah," he finally muttered.

"Oh, man! That's awesome, I wanna meet them."

Blaine rolled his eyes with a chuckle, "They'll try to give you a make over, I guarantee it."

When the sun was high in the sky, beating down on their bare shoulders, Sam mentioned his love for comic books. Blaine's head snapped in Sam's direction. The taller boy laughed, pulling up hem of his tank top to wipe the sweat from his upper face. Blaine glanced down briefly at the flash of Sam's perfectly toned stomach.

"Ok, first question," Sam started, dropping his shirt back down. Blaine focused his eyes back on the little flower he was placing into the hole he dug in the soil. "Favorite super hero?" Sam asked.

"Ever?" Blaine responded. "I can't pick one."

"Alright, fine, first one that comes to mind."

Blaine paused for a moment to think. "I really like Captain America," he finally said sitting down on the grass when his legs started to cramp from squatting. "Some people think its kind of lame. That he's lame because he has no actual weapon. He just has the shield. But that's what I love about him." Blaine patted at the soil around the flower and began digging a new hole. "He doesn't need to use violence to defend himself and protect others." When Blaine looked over, Sam was smiling.

"I know a lot of dudes who would probably laugh at you for saying that, but I just think that makes you ten times cooler."

Blaine's heart skipped a beat. "Thanks."

* * *

When Kurt walked out of his last class Blaine wasn't waiting for him like he had been the last few days. After that afternoon Kurt convinced Blaine to hitch a ride with him, they had started carpooling. Every other afternoon of the school week, Blaine would wait for Kurt outside of the class room. Today, he was no where in sight. Kurt glanced down at his phone. It was Friday. Friday was one of their days.

Kurt hated the sinking feeling of disappointment weighing down in his stomach. It was far too similar to what being stood up felt like.

"See you Monday, Professor Hummel!" one of his students called as she rushed past him.

Kurt looked up at her, snapping out of his thoughts."Have a good weekend, Amy," he called back, putting on a false smile and pushing away that stupid feeling he refused to fully acknowledge.

Kurt wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that he was upset because Blaine wasn't waiting for him, or feeling overwhelmingly relieved and giddy when he saw Blaine waiting by his car in the parking lot. Kurt hoped his smile wasn't too obvious. He managed to recover rather gracefully with a laugh at Blaine's disheveled appearance.

"Have you been working down in the academy's secret mine cave?" Kurt asked pulling out his keys and unlocking the car.

Blaine blinked, looking confused before glancing at his reflection on the car's window behind him. "Oh," he said suddenly, self consciously rubbing at the dirt on his cheek only to smudge it further across his cheek.

Kurt giggled quietly, shaking his head. "Try not to make too much of a mess of my car," he teased as he tugged the driver's side door open and climbed in.

He hated how drastically his mood had changed just from the sight of Blaine waiting by his car.

* * *

"Um, Kurt?"

Setting his bag down on the couch, Kurt glanced back at Blaine who stood against the front door looking far too much like a kicked puppy.

"Would it be too weird if I asked if I could take a quick shower?"

Kurt laughed and shook his head. "Go right ahead. We can get to work when you finish up. Do you need a change of clothes?"

Blaine nodded. "Just a shirt. This one is really gross."

Kurt smiled and flicked his head a little, signaling the boy to follow him. He fished out an old button up shirt and tossed it in Blaine's direction. "No rush," he said, brushing Blaine's arm as he walked past him.

When Kurt heard the bathroom door click shut and the water pipes squeak and hum, he dropped onto the couch. Draping his arm over his eyes, Kurt groaned softly.

Before he could begin silently loathing himself for his stupid emotions, he was dozing off.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed when he heard Blaine's foot steps on the wood floor. Kurt moved his arm, sitting up and blinking against the light peeking through the windows to see Blaine looking down at him, appearing a little guilty for waking Kurt.

He looked looked smaller than ever in that shirt. The sleeves were rolled up neatly to his elbows, though the fabric hung loosely at his arms. The shirt was a little wrinkled, making Blaine look rumpled.

The sight was breath taking and heart wrenching all at the same time. It made Kurt want to cry.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked, voice soft, a little concerned. "You look...really tired."

Kurt shook his head, reaching up to smooth his own hair down, "I'll be fine," he promised with a laugh. "It's been a long day with mid terms coming up and all." He heaved out a sigh, "Anyway. You ready?"

Blaine nodded with a smile. "I've got so much to tell you."

* * *

There was a new groundskeeper, Kurt knew that much. He had seen the boy on campus today. He was a cute kid with a young face and a not-so-young body. He was definitely the type of boy Kurt had been attracted to in high school.

Blaine spent a solid thirty minutes talking about the boy whose name was Sam Evans.

"I want to share something with you," Blaine said after a few moments of silence. Kurt set down the box he was carrying to look over at Blaine. "I don't really talk about it as much because kids at my old school used to sort of tease me over it. But, um, I'm gay." He said it so bluntly, so matter-of-factly.

Kurt smiled and hoped the gesture didn't come off the wrong way. "Thanks for telling me, Blaine." He sat down on the ground and opened the box, pulling out the picture frames wrapped in newspaper. "I'm sure it's no secret I am, too," he said, glancing over at Blaine who smiled at him and shrugged.

"It's not polite to assume."

"Well, thank you," Kurt said, genuinely.

Blaine slowly began unwrapping the picture frames and spoke up after a few moments without looking up. "I think Sam might be my first actual crush. Like, non-celebrity crush."

"You've only known him for a day, though," Kurt found himself saying, suddenly feeling defensive.

Blaine shrugged, staring down at the empty picture frame. "I think we really had a connection."

Kurt nearly rolled his eyes.

"How good is your gaydar?" Blaine asked, looking up at Kurt.

"My what?" Kurt nearly scoffed.

"Gaydar. You know, when you can tell if someone-"

"I know what gaydar means, Blaine, I'm thirty-two not eighty-two, jesus."

"Can you help me figure out if Sam is gay? I think he might be. It looks like maybe he dyes his hair…Do straight guys dye their hair? I mean, I know some do, but usually if a guy dyes his hair it means he's gay-"

Kurt sighed. "Asking him is the best option," he stated as he finished unpacking the box and moving on to the next one.

"Don't you think that's kind of awkward, though?" Blaine questioned slowly.

"Not as awkward as this conversation about you asking me to help you figure out some kid's sexual orientation. Moving to the next topic, they're announcing the cast this Monday and I'm pretty positive the role of Tony is yours."

Right. Move away from any conversation involving Blaine's sexuality and love interests. That would solve everything. At least it would for the moment.

* * *

By the time Monday rolled around, Kurt forced himself to forget his conversation with Blaine. He needed to move past these childish feelings. He was an adult and he knew how to keep his emotions in check. He had years of experience with this kind of thing.

But Blaine managed to make it so damn hard for him.

Especially when Blaine would look at him like he was now. With those huge, glassy eyes filled to the brim with emotion.

Blaine had gotten the part.

Adoration. Was that what he saw there as Blaine tossed his arms around Kurt? Kurt hugged him. Held him close as Blaine repeated "thank you" into his shoulder and "I would have never gotten this part if it wasn't for you, Kurt."

Kurt laughed as he pulled away and held Blaine at arm's length. "You did most of the work. I told you you'd get it."

Blaine smiled that genuine smile that Kurt loved so much.

"I'm going to take you out to celebrate," Kurt said.

Blaine looked confused and a little taken aback.

"We're going to the city and you're going to watch a broadway show with me."

"Kurt, I-"

"Payment," Kurt interrupted with a smile. "Celebration for getting the part and payment for helping me out around the house? Okay?"

Blaine was silent for a few moments.

"Alright," he finally said, grinning.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so glad I've gotten past all the exposition and now we can get into the fun stuff like angsty, in denial Kurt 8D I hope didn't drag it out too much but I want their relationship to feel as real as possible and not so much a "OMG I INSTANTLY LOVE YOU" sort of thing, haha. And don't worry, this will definitely NOT turn into a Blam fic because Klaine is end game for me. I just want to give Kurt a reason to feel protective over Blaine because protective Kurt is awesome.**

**I already have the next chapter finished. I just need to proof read, edit and all that fun stuff. Hopefully I'll be able to put it up within the next few days. Anyway, I really, really hope people are enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. As always, reviews are very much appreciated. Please, let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, so just a quick note before we get into this next chapter, I wanted to make Blaine's sisters ages clear. Starting from the youngest, it's Bri who is 7, Bailey who is 10, Belinda who is 11 and Beth who is 14. And, of course, there's Blaine who is 17, nearly 18. **

**Happy reading, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Blaine was floating, he was on cloud nine and he couldn't let anything or anyone bring him down. Not today. Not this whole week. He briefly wondered if he was dreaming. Everything seemed too perfect and unreal. To top it all off, Kurt was taking him to see a show in the city.

"Where are you going?"

Blaine looked up from his bed to see Bailey peeking through his door. He smiled and waved for her to come in. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," she began, "you've got a bunch of clothes all over your room like you're trying to pick out an outfit. And you _never_ leave clothes lying around your room like that."

Blaine laughed looking down at the three outfit choices he had narrowed it down to. "A friend that works at the school is taking me to see a show on Broadway tonight."

"Ooh, like a _date?_" The voice belonged to Beth.

Blaine looked towards his door and sighed with a gentle roll of his eyes. "_No,_ Beth, it isn't a date," he said as she walked through the door and crawled onto his bed. She sat in the middle, crossing her legs Indian style and looking down at the different outfits. "It's one of the teachers at the school," Blaine informed her.

"The one you're helping grade papers and stuff?" Bailey asked.

Blaine immediately hushed her, looking out his bedroom door. "Shut _up_, dad doesn't know." His dad couldn't know because he would ask why and what was Blaine supposed to tell him? Surely not the truth.

"Loud mouth," Beth sighed, narrowing her eyes at Bailey.

"Shut up," the smaller girl muttered hauling herself up to sit on Blaine's dresser.

"I think you should go with this one," Beth said pointing at the outfit in the middle. It was a light blue polo paired with a navy, almost black sweater vest. Along with it was a pair of black pants and a gunmetal gray sportcoat. "It's classy, but not over the top like the other two. He'll love it."

Blaine looked up at her, "This isn't a date, Beth, we're just friends. Besides," he added as he gathered the two other outfits into his arms, "he's way older than me."

"Age is just a number," Beth pointed out with a shrug causing Blaine to sigh as he opened his closet door and began hanging up the clothes. "I can tell you have a thing for him," she added.

Blaine quickly turned his head to look at her as she moved off of the bed. "I _do not,_" Blaine hissed. The room suddenly felt much warmer.

Beth laughed. "Oh yeah? Then why do you talk about him all the time?" she accused.

Blaine turned and grabbed one of his shoes from the closet, raising it over his head to throw at her. With a screech, Beth was out the door before he could chuck the shoe across the room. She laughed her way down the hall and Blaine groaned. "She's such a brat," he muttered as he tossed the shoe back onto the little rack in the closet.

Bailey giggled, sliding off of the dresser. "Are you sure you don't have a crush on him? You sure got defensive," she said.

Blaine gaped at her and sputtered out, "You too?"

Bailey laughed again as she moved towards the door, "Age _is_ just a number."

"Go away, Bailey," Blaine snapped as he turned back to his closet to finish putting the clothes away.

"Love you too, big brother," Bailey called before shutting the door behind her leaving Blaine to himself. And then there was the sudden question of: _Do I have feelings for him…?_

Blaine shut the closet door and leaned against it. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back against the door. It wouldn't matter because any relationship between himself and Kurt would be incredibly illegal. And what interest would Kurt have in him anyway?

They were _friends_ and that was all they would ever be.

And that was just fine

* * *

Blaine's father didn't ask too many questions about his going out last night. He had smiled, actually, when Blaine mentioned he would be going into the city with a friend of his. Blaine didn't really have any friends, which meant he spent his free time with his sisters. That was just fine, but it was nice to try something different for the first time in a while.

Kurt insisted on picking Blaine up from his house that evening and the idea made Blaine a little nervous. He thought about just walking to Kurt's house but the walk was far and time consuming.

Blaine was fixing his hair in front of the bathroom mirror when he received a text message from Kurt, letting Blaine know that he was pulling up to the house. Blaine gave his reflection another glance, hoping he hadn't overdone it with the hair gel. He grabbed his wallet, phone and keys from the dresser, pausing one final time to look at himself in the mirror. He adjusted the gray bowtie he had thrown on at the last minute before nodding at his reflection in the mirror.

_You look fine._

* * *

By the time Blaine climbed into Kurt's car his heart was hammering against his chest. He and Kurt had been alone a dozen times before but somehow this felt different. It made him nervous and uneasy. Kurt seemed to notice. Blaine could see it in his face.

"Hey," Kurt greeted.

"Hi," Blaine breathed in response.

"You alright? You seem a little…" he paused, taking in Blaine's appearance, "flustered."

"No. It's—No, I'm fine, sorry." Blaine laughed. "I was just running a little late in getting ready, lost track of time. Sorry for making you wait."

Kurt smiled, "Oh, how dare you keep me waiting for a whole minute, Blaine? I take back my offer for tonight, get out."

"Very funny," Blaine said through a smile.

Kurt chuckled as he put the car in reverse and backed out into the street. Blaine let his eyes linger on Kurt for a few more moments before he looked ahead. If there was one thing Blaine knew about Kurt, it was that he had an amazing sense of fashion. But what he was wearing tonight blew every other outfit out of the water. His hair looked perfect and he smelled really, _really_ nice.

He wore a gray knit biker jacket paired with a plain white collared shirt, top button undone. And he had this incredible black tie with white polka dots that went around his neck more like a scarf. Blaine couldn't see his shoes or pants but he was sure they looked just as amazing.

"You look very nice," Kurt commented once they were a few miles down the street.

Blaine looked over at him and blinked down at his own outfit. "Thank you," he said after a short pause.

"I was a little worried," Kurt continued with a laugh, "I wasn't sure if what you wore to work was your _actual_ style of dress. I was already planning an intervention."

Blaine laughed a little loudly and quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth giggling softly. "You're ridiculous."

"No, I just refuse to let my friends dress badly."

Blaine gaped, "It's not _that_ terrible."

"Jeans and a t-shirt everyday, really?"

Blaine laughed.

* * *

Blaine hadn't been here in years. Everything seemed brighter and bigger. Kurt decided it would be best to park his car at a public garage and take the subway down to the heart of the city. By that point, Blaine was too giddy to reply, barely giving Kurt a nod in response.

They were weaving through clusters of bodies on the sidewalk when Blaine spoke up for the first time in a while, too busy taking in the sights to speak. "The last time I was here was when my mom was still alive." Kurt remained silent beside him, though Blaine could tell he was listening intently. "It was before my youngest sister Bri was born. I don't think my mom was even pregnant then." They stopped, parting ways for just a few moments to walk around a group of foreign tourists taking pictures. When they joined together again, Blaine continued speaking, "My parents brought me into the city to see Beauty and The Beast. I was obsessed," Blaine laughed. "I loved Disney movies growing up and seeing one come to life on stage was a dream come true. I was around ten when we came to see it so I could barely see over the person in front of me. It was horrible."

Kurt laughed. "You must have been so tiny."

"I was always the shortest in my class growing up." He shrugged. His height was something that never really bothered him. "But, yeah, I had to sit on my mom's lap during the second half of the show. I think she could tell I was about ready to cry because I couldn't see." When Blaine glanced over at Kurt he caught this tender look in his eyes. Blaine nearly blushed under his gaze as he laughed softly and slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Being back here is really nostalgic."

"Is it too much?" he barely heard the soft question over the noise around them.

Blaine stopped, looking up at Kurt and smiled with a shake of his head. "Not at all. It's very nice."

Kurt nodded. "Okay," he said, hooking his arm with Blaine's. The gesture made Blaine's stomach swoop in this funny way he was sure had had never felt. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late."

* * *

"Mamma Mia," Blaine said, eyes wide as he stared up at the huge billboard.

"Don't you dare tell me you don't want to see it," Kurt warned as he pulled Blaine's ticket from his pocket.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I'll watch anything, Kurt. It's me we're talking about. I'm very easy to please." He took the ticket and slipped it into his own pocket. "Come on, _Kurt,_ if we don't hurry we'll be late," Blaine teased.

* * *

There truly was nothing on this earth like a Broadway show. Blaine was unable to keep himself from grinning when the lights came on for intermission. Kurt seemed to notice and he found it quite amusing, laughing as they walked out into the lobby.

"I need to bring you out here to see shows more often," Kurt told him, "your excitement is contagious."

"Can you blame me?" Blaine asked as they stepped in line for a snack. "It's not every day I go out and see a show on _Broadway._"

"My apologies," Kurt chuckled. "Go grab a seat, I'll pay."

Blaine frowned, feeling a little guilty. Kurt was already spending all this money on Blaine's ticket; he couldn't let him buy him food too. "I can get it, it's fine."

Kurt refused to take no for an answer, though, and seconds later Blaine was sitting at a nearby bench waiting on Kurt.

Blaine watched his friend from a distance. It was at that moment that he was able to get a good look at his outfit. His pants were black and much tighter than what he wore to work. Blaine's eyes moved up to Kurt's face, examining his profile, strong jaw, all angular features. And his hair with that one strand that fell delicately over his forehead, contrasting perfectly against his pale skin. Kurt was attractive; he wasn't going to deny that.

Blaine looked down at his shoes, chewing on his lip. A few moments later his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text message from Beth.

_Heyyy, how's your date going? Have you kissed yet?_

Blaine nearly cursed under his breath and he closed the message and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"You alright there?" Blaine quickly looked up to find Kurt standing across from him. "I thought maybe you might throw your phone across the room," he teased.

"Just one of my sisters being stupid," Blaine explained as he moved over to allow Kurt some room to sit.

"This cheese and crackers plate looked pretty good. I hope you don't mind sharing, I'm not very hungry," Kurt said.

Blaine shook his head, "That's fine. Thank you," he said as he opened the box. Then Kurt was handing him a glass of something that looked like champagne.

"It's not apple cider," Kurt said as he popped a cube of cheese into his mouth.

Blaine's eyebrows hiked as a slow smile spread onto his face. "How incredibly illegal," he said as he took a sip.

"I won't tell if you don't," Kurt said as he took a sip from his own glass.

Blaine chuckled as he picked up one the cheese cubes and glanced over at Kurt who was looking off into the crowd. Blaine looked down at the ground as they ate and drank in silence for a few moments. Of course, Blaine's traitor mind kept thinking back to Beth's stupid message. And naturally he silently kept asking himself if this was some sort of date. But Kurt kept giving him these little looks all night. They were looks that could have been mistaken for something more. Something that made Blaine's heart race at a dangerously fast pace. If Sam gave Blaine those looks, he would be certain that the boy was interested. But with Kurt it all seemed so confusing because, wasn't it socially unacceptable for Kurt to look at Blaine like that? But some dangerous little part of Blaine's mind didn't want to believe that it was wrong because the idea of being with Kurt felt anything but wrong.

"Kurt?"

The word cut through the silence between them. Blaine could feel Kurt looking at him but he was afraid to look up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He sounded confused.

"Is this some sort of date?" When he finally spoke the words he looked up and Kurt was staring back at him looking a little shocked and taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked suddenly.

"Like, a _date_. You taking me out and buying me food and champagne and…" he let the words hang uncomfortably in the air.

"No," Kurt said, "No, Blaine. I—" He stared at Blaine, eyebrows knitting together and he almost looked guilty. "I'm sorry if it seemed that way. Does this make you uncomfortable? I didn't mean to force you to come out with me tonight. I just—I wanted to celebrate and—I'm sorry, Blaine."

"No," Blaine breathed. His heart clenched and suddenly he felt a sudden wave of disappointment. Some insane part of him wanted Kurt to say yes. But of course he wouldn't. "No, it's ok. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to…God, I'm _so _sorry Kurt." Blaine looked down at the ground. "I shouldn't have asked you that. It's totally—completely inappropriate."

"Hey," Kurt said softly. Blaine didn't look up. With the corner of his eye he saw Kurt shift a bit to face him. "Blaine, look at me?" He did. "Just tell me, did any of this make you feel uncomfortable? Even you helping me out around the house? Because if it does, we can stop. You don't ever have to come over again if you don't want to. I promise I won't tell anyone about you sneaking in to my class."

"No, god Kurt, no. I'm not uncomfortable." Blaine promised. "You're the first friend I've had in a really, really long time. I love spending time with you."

Kurt smiled, "More than Sam?"

Blaine dropped his head and laughed quietly and then looked up at Kurt, "Yeah, more than Sam. But only because you buy me alcohol."

"Brat," Kurt muttered, still smiling as he took a sip of his champagne. After a moment, the smile faded. "But, seriously..."

"I mean it," Blaine assured him. Because there was nothing Kurt could ever do to make him uneasy. Not when he was so kind. Blaine glanced at Kurt briefly. And attractive.

* * *

The rest of their night went on without any other awkward discussions. Blaine wanted to slap himself for even asking such a thing to begin with. Why did he even consider it? Yes, he was nearly eighteen, but technically, he was still a minor. There was no way Kurt would ever dream of taking him out on a date and calling it that.

That didn't mean the rest of their night wasn't amazing, though. After the show, they wandered the streets for a little while. Before they left, though, Blaine insisted on a picture.

"Today has been amazing and I want to remember it," Blaine explained. "Do you mind?"

Kurt shook his head, "Of course not."

"Here, let's use your phone, the quality is better," Blaine suggested. Kurt pulled out his phone and opened up the camera option. He turned the phone to face them as he pulled an arm around Blaine's waist to pull him against his side. They were so close he could feel the warmth from Kurt's body. Blaine swallowed, glancing over at Kurt just as he snapped the picture. Blaine mentally smacked himself. "Sorry, I wasn't ready," he said as Kurt turned the phone to look at the picture. Blaine looked down at the screen to see the snapshot Kurt had accidentally taken. In the picture, Kurt was smiling into the camera and Blaine was looking up at him, eyes wide and shining. Blaine's cheeks warmed, embarrassment flooding over him because he looked like a lovesick puppy in the picture.

"Let's try again," Kurt said. Had he even noticed?

Kurt held the phone out and Blaine moved in close as Kurt put an arm around his shoulder. Blaine smiled into the camera and it flashed. Kurt turned the phone around and they both looked down at the screen. This one was definitely not embarrassing, but in the picture they looked like a couple. Kurt's arm was gently resting over Blaine's shoulders and Blaine's face was pressed comfortably against Kurt's. "Much better," Kurt said. "I'm gonna make this your caller ID picture."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up as he watched Kurt tap away at his phone. After a moment, he smiled. "OK."

* * *

Blaine nearly fell asleep on the ride back to his house. It was nice to be inside the warmth of the car and Kurt was singing along to the radio, voice soft and so very soothing. He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes as he listened to Kurt's voice. It was so raw and so very beautiful.

When they pulled up to Blaine's house, he almost didn't want to get out of the car. Partly because it was warm and comfortable and partly because he didn't want to leave Kurt. They said their goodbyes and before Blaine opened the door, Kurt stopped him, catching him by the arm gently, calling out his name.

"Can I change my answer?"

Blaine turned to look at Kurt, confused at the strange question.

"Ask me again," Kurt said, "what you asked me during intermission."

Blaine's breath caught in his throat and he swallowed before speaking up. "Is…Was this a date?"

"Yeah. Yes it is."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, I made a huge typo in one of the earlier chapters on Kurt's age. I mentioned that he's 36 when actually he's 32. Huge mistake on my part, so I just wanted to clear that up right now. Kurt is 32.**

**Also, I wanted to thank everyone for all of the kind reviews. It means a lot more to me than you think you know. Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

* * *

"Wait, is this really him? _The_ Kurt Hummel? I can't believe he's taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to _me!"_

Kurt sighed into the receiver rolling his eyes, "Shut up, Rachel, you know how demanding this job can get."

"I know," Rachel laughed, "I'm teasing."

Kurt could already see that bright smile on her face. He missed it. He missed Rachel.

"So, you really like it over there?" Rachel asked, voice a little more calm and quiet.

Kurt nodded and muttered a soft, "Mmhmm. It's nice out here. I kind of miss the city sometimes but there's something nostalgic about being away from it all. Are you still coming to visit next week?"

"Of course! I've cleared my busy schedule for you, honey. Nothing's stopping me this time."

Kurt laughed. "Good," he responded. Just then, his phone vibrated against his ear. He pulled it away to glance at the screen to see a text message from Blaine.

_I didn't know you were the costume designer for the show! Why didn't you tell me?_

Kurt grinned as he briefly asked Rachel to hold on. He quickly typed up a response.

_Well I guess I'm just full of surprises ;)_

Seconds later Blaine responded with a

_You're such a cheeseball. I'll see you tomorrow Kurt :) _

Kurt considered it for a moment but decided to respond

_Good night. Sweet dreams._

He bit his lip before putting the phone back to his ear and returning to his conversation with Rachel. "Sorry about that. Responding to a text."

"Oooh," Rachel said, sounding far too excited. "From who? Is it a sexy professor at the school?"

"Um, no," Kurt responded, eyebrows knitting together. "No sexy professors at the academy. It's one of the groundskeepers."

"Oh!" Rachel squealed, "Even sexier! Is he all ripped and tan?"

Kurt paused. Tanned, yes. Ripped, not exactly. Blaine was compact but he wasn't scrawny. Even though he didn't have chiseled abs and huge arms, Kurt thought he was perfect. "Not really?" Kurt muttered slowly. "Rachel, you have to promise not to tell anyone—and I mean _anyone_ about this."

Suddenly Rachel's voice went quiet, a little more serious, "Kurt?" she questioned, "Are you alright?"

Kurt swallowed trying to push aside the nervous feeling that was beginning to nag at him. Was it really a good idea to tell Rachel about this? She was his best friend, but his feelings for Blaine were…well, incredibly frowned upon.

"He's underage," Kurt finally whispered.

"What?" Rachel said softly. "Like, how young?" she asked.

"Seventeen," the word stung coming out of his mouth. It felt strange saying it out loud and it made it that much more real. That much more terrifying. "He's turning eighteen in a few months. But—God, he's a kid and I have these feelings for him." He felt his body shaking. Kurt looked down at his hand watching as he trembled in the slightest. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all. This was dangerous. Frightening. "God," Kurt breathed, dropping his face into his hand. His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "I'm thirty-two Rachel, what the _hell_ am I_ doing_? He's a _child._"

Rachel was silent and Kurt's heart was racing. He wished the ground would just swallow him up right then and there.

"Kurt."

He nearly jumped, startled at the sudden sound of her voice that shattered the silence in his ears.

"Yeah," Kurt responded with a sigh, face still pressed into his hand.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"Yes." He was trying not to break down and cry. "I really, _really _do."

"What about him?" Rachel questioned, voice calm and soothing.

"I took him to see a show in the city last weekend. And during intermission he asked me if it was a date. And he had this hopeful look on his face and I knew what he wanted me to say. But I was scared. I didn't want to scare him away, Rachel, because I really like him. But—I said no. At first. And he looked so disappointed. But I couldn't focus on the second half of the show because I kept thinking about him and the way he had looked at me. So before I dropped him off at home I told him that it was a date. It felt like some huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as soon as I said it. And when he smiled at me, Rachel. _God,_ I felt invincible and nothing really mattered that night. I didn't think about his age and how wrong it was to have feelings for him because _he_ felt the same way about _me_ and that made me feel so good. I haven't felt like that since the day I was accepted into NYADA." By that point, tears were rolling down his cheeks. He struggled to get the last sentence out, sobbing out the last word.

"Honey," Rachel cooed. "Kurt, it's ok. I'm sorry I'm not there with you. I wanna give you the biggest hug right now. And we could snuggle on the couch and watch Singing In The Rain like we used to in high school."

Kurt sniffed and laughed. "I miss that."

"Yeah, me too," Rachel agreed. "Listen," she said, "it's gonna be ok. _You're_ gonna be ok because you're Kurt Hummel and you are the strongest person I know. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Don't let society's opinions get in the way. He's practically an adult and once he's eighteen, nobody can say a damn thing. Kurt?"

"Mmm."

"_You will be OK_. I promise."

Kurt smiled. "Thanks."

"What's his name?" Rachel asked.

"Blaine. His name is Blaine."

"Kurt and Blaine," Rachel said slowly, "Klaine. I like it."

Kurt laughed. He liked the sound of it, too, but didn't dare to agree out loud.

* * *

The first day of rehearsal was Halloween so, naturally, the students had trouble paying attention. It seemed like their plans for later that night were much more important than focusing on the cold reading. Artie's frustration with them was mildly entertaining but mostly scary. Of course, Blaine seemed to be the only teenager in the room who was taking the rehearsal seriously. The smile on his face was contagious. Kurt could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him.

Kurt and Rachel sat in the back of the theater, silently watching as the kids read off of their script, Artie stopping them occasionally to either scold them for missing their cue or to give some feedback. Once they did a second read through, Artie stood with a sigh.

"We're off to a not-so-great start, guys," he said, "Hopefully next week it'll be a little better?"

There was a unified, "Yes," that came from the group and Artie muttered a quiet, "Thank you" before signaling Rachel to come on to the stage. Rachel practically leapt off of her chair and hurried towards the stage. Kurt trailed after her taking a seat a little closer to the stage. That was when Blaine finally noticed his presence. The boy smiled and waved. Kurt returned the gesture with a small laugh.

Rachel introduced herself as she stepped into the middle of the circle of chairs. Almost immediately, she dove into a lecture. Kurt was impressed. He briefly wondered if he could convince her to leave Broadway, become a professor at the school and move in with him.

Kurt found himself watching Blaine almost constantly. He was taking notes, eyes wide. Kurt covered his mouth when he chuckled. His commitment to all of this was kind of adorable.

When rehearsal was over, a few kids stayed behind, crowding around Rachel asking her questions. Kurt could tell she was basking in the attention. He rolled his eyes fondly as he stood and approached Blaine who was bending down to gather his things from the pile of bags that had been thrown at the very edge of the stage. "Hey you," Kurt said. Blaine looked up from the heap of backpacks to smile. Kurt's heart fluttered at that.

"Hey," Blaine greeted as he moved towards Kurt and sat down in front of him messenger bag on his lap. Kurt wanted so badly to reach out and touch his hand.

"You did a really good job today. You were actually the best one out there."

"Kurt. It was just a cold reading," Blaine reminded him with a laugh.

Kurt shrugged. "You were still really good," he said and Blaine laughed a little more.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Kurt responded softly.

And for a few moments the two just looked at each other and no words were exchanged. Those short seconds seemed to last so much longer and Kurt only wished they were alone because he wanted to kiss Blaine. He wanted to hold him. He wanted Blaine to be _his._

"Blaine, right?" Suddenly Rachel was right there, standing behind Blaine. The boy blinked, craning his head back to look up at Rachel.

"Yeah," he said, "How, um, did you know my name?"

Kurt's heart stopped. No. _Rachel, no._ He looked up at his best friend trying to warn her not to mention their conversation. Not like this around other people.

"Artie told me," she said. Kurt sighed quietly. "I asked him about you just now. He said you're not even a student here?" she asked, taking a seat beside Blaine. She let her legs dangle over the edge of the stage, crossing her feet at the ankle.

"Nope," Blaine responded. "Groundskeeper. But, um…" he smiled at Kurt, "this guy managed to convince the headmaster to give me a chance at auditioning. So I did and I got the part."

"Well, you deserve it," Rachel said, nudging Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine beamed, "Thank you so much, Rachel. It means a lot, really." Then he looked over at Kurt. "I have to get going, but I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah," he agreed. "Have a safe walk home, alright?"

Blaine nodded. "Of course." He smiled at Rachel, "It was really nice meeting you. Thanks for the tips today."

"Any time," Rachel replied as Blaine stood and gave a small wave before leaving. Once they were alone, Rachel slowly turned her head to give Kurt this wide, knowing smile.

Kurt flinched back. "_What?_"

"You know," Rachel said through her grin.

"Oh, _shut up_," Kurt snapped, suddenly the room felt stupidly warm.

"I saw the way you were looking at him. It was _disgustingly cute_, Kurt."

"Was it really obvious?" Kurt blurted out.

"Nah, not totally obvious, but you might wanna tone it down a little."

"OK," Kurt muttered, smoothing down his shirt. "Yeah, OK."

* * *

Later that day, Kurt received a call from Blaine shortly after dinner. Rachel had insisted on doing the dishes so Kurt had been forced to sit down on the couch. Project Runway was having another marathon so he decided to watch that.

"Can I ask you for a semi-huge favor?" Blaine asked as soon as Kurt answered the phone.

"Sure, anything," Kurt responded.

"My dad's got this really bad cold and he can't come with me to take my sisters trick-or-treating. I'd take them alone but I don't trust their behavior when they're hopped up on sugar. And it's dark outside, so I don't want to lose any of them in the midst of their chaotic trick-or-treating."

Kurt laughed, "Of course," he said. "I'll be over in a bit, alright?"

"_Thank you_," Blaine breathed, "You don't know how much unneeded stress you're saving me."

Kurt smiled, "I'll see you soon, Blaine," and hung up. He looked over at Rachel. "Guess we're going trick-or-treating tonight."

* * *

Kurt wasn't sure what he was expecting. But it certainly wasn't this. As Blaine had explained, it was chaos. Yellow blurs of chaos.

"Guess they decided to pre-game," Rachel commented beside Kurt as they walked along the path leading to the front porch.

When Blaine stumbled through the front door, leading one of his sisters out, Kurt had to cover his mouth to keep himself from giggling out loud.

"Oh my _god_." Apparently Rachel had no problem speaking her thoughts. "That is adorable," she squealed, "Are they the minions from Despicable Me and you're Gru?"

"Gru _before_ he had his growth spurt," Blaine joked as the sister he led out screamed happily and ran off to join the others. The boy watched her before rolling his eyes. "They decided to start eating the candy that's meant for the _other_ trick-or-treaters." He sighed. "Thank you so much for coming with me, I don't think I could handle them on my own."

"It's no problem," Kurt said turning to walk towards the street. "Our only plans for the night were watching old scary movies."

"The new ones freak us out too much," Rachel added, "At least the old ones are cheesy enough for us to laugh at."

Blaine chuckled, "Agreed. I couldn't sit through the first Saw movie. I had nightmares for weeks."

Just then one of the girls squeezed between Kurt and Blaine. "Is this Kurt?" she asked Blaine, staring up at Kurt who smiled awkwardly down at her. How did she know his name? _Did Blaine talk about him?_

"Yeah, Bailey. Now go join your sisters," he said, gently pushing at her shoulder.

"He really is handsome like you said," Bailey said.

Kurt's mouth dropped open, "Wha—"

Rachel giggled.

"Bailey, ohmygod!" Blaine said through gritted teeth.

"No, it's—It's fine," Kurt assured him.

"You are precious," Rachel laughed.

"Thanks, so are you!" Bailey responded with a smile before running ahead of them to join her sisters.

"Sorry about that," Blaine said avoiding eye contact with Kurt. "I didn't think she would—This is awkward."

Kurt let his hand brush Blaine's and gently grabbed it, holding it briefly. Blaine looked up at him and Kurt smiled reassuringly. "It's really OK," he promised.

"Because he thinks you're cute too," Rachel said.

Kurt looked over at Rachel, eyes wide.

"What? I'm just saying what you won't, jeeze." She shrugged, hurrying to catch up to the group of girls. Kurt heard her introduce herself and ask them their names.

"We should probably talk about this, shouldn't we?" Kurt muttered. "About us."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed after a short pause. They arrived at the first house. Rachel told Blaine she would walk the girls up, leaving Kurt and Blaine to themselves.

"I really meant what I said last week, you know," Kurt said, "About the date."

Blaine looked up at him. He looked relieved, almost. "So what does this mean?" he asked timidly.

"I don't know," Kurt whispered. He was scared. He spent countless hours thinking about them. Thinking about the date and how nice it was. He also thought about how dangerous all of this was and how stupid he was for letting himself feel this way about a boy who was untouchable. "Blaine," Kurt said quietly. "You're…"

Blaine looked over at his sisters who all called out "Trick or treat!" in the distance. His eyebrows knitted together and he looked back up at Kurt. "I know. I'm young," he said. "And I know this…us…it's…"

"Illegal," Kurt finished for him.

"I know," Blaine whispered. "And it's fine—it's ok. But we can be friends right? There's nothing wrong about that."

Kurt pressed his lips together. He could hear the pain in Blaine's voice but what he saw on his face was different. He was smiling so sweetly. Kurt nodded. "Of course we can be friends, Blaine."

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to Blaine.

* * *

They visited a total of ten houses that night before Blaine's youngest sister (Bri, was it?) finally crashed. She shuffled up to Blaine grabbing at his long striped scarf. She tugged it a few times until Blaine finally bent down to one knee.

"I'm tired," she mumbled, "when are we going home?"

Blaine smiled as he removed the large yellow construction hat off of her head. "Soon," he said. "Your sisters want to do one last house and then we'll go home. Promise."

Bri nodded, rubbing her eyes before joining her sisters. Kurt watched as she giggled when Beth picked her up, balancing the small girl on her shoulders. He turned to look at Blaine briefly who watched them with a bit of a worried look. "Don't drop your sister, Beth," he called.

Kurt laughed, nudging Blaine's shoulder, "You're going to make one hell of a dad one day, you know," he said softly.

Blaine looked up at him with those big eyes and then smiled with a shrug. "I hope so."

"You want kids?" Kurt questioned as they approached the final house and watched as Rachel led the girls up the path to the front door.

"One day, definitely. I think I've gotten more than enough practice with these little monsters," Blaine chuckled gesturing over to his sisters. He smiled, face scrunching up, "I think I can handle anything."

Kurt grinned, "Yeah," he agreed.

Soon after that, they began walking back to Blaine's house. By the time they arrived, Blaine's father had already gone to bed so Blaine was trying his best to keep his little sisters quiet.

After Kurt and Rachel helped Blaine sort through the candy they decided to call it a night.

"I've got to wash this make up off my face," Blaine said as he led them to the front door, "It's starting to itch."

"Here," Rachel said reaching into her purse. She pulled out a couple small moist towels, "Make up remover. It'll come off clean and it's good for your skin."

Blaine took the little towels and thanked her.

"You should come over Saturday night if you're not busy," Rachel said, "It's my last night and I was planning on making some dinner. You should join us. We can watch a movie or something?" She looked at Kurt for confirmation.

Kurt nodded, "You should," he agreed, "Every time you're over there we're working. You should come over to relax for once."

Blaine smiled looking between the two, "Yeah," he said, "Sure, I would love that."

"It's settled then," Rachel said with a grin, "Dinner for three at the Hummel residence."

* * *

"Rachel stop, no!"

"What, ohmygod, Kurt why are you freaking out so much?"

"Because I don't want him to think I'm trying to impress him or something stupid like that! This tablecloth says 'Hey! Blaine! I want to impress you!"

Rachel sighed snatching the tablecloth away from him, "No it does _not._ It just says that you have good taste. Now go get the plates and stop acting so weird."

Kurt groaned turning into the kitchen and snatching up the plates. He began setting them down after the tablecloth had been laid down. "I still think it's too much," he muttered.

"Why are you over reacting like this?" Rachel asked.

"_Because_, Rachel," he said, "We talked about…things on Thursday. We agreed that…this whole thing. Us as a couple. It's not an option. He knows how dangerous it is for me and how stupid it would be to do anything. We agreed to be friends and nothing more."

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked crossing her arms, "Let me know how _that_ goes for you. It's not going to work." Rachel heaved out a sigh and let her arms drop to her sides as she walked around the table to stand in front of him. "Kurt," she said grabbing his shoulders and holding him at arms length, "You are my best friend. I know you better than most people. And I know that what you're feeling for him is _different._ That look you were giving him in the theater the other day. I've never seen you look at anyone like that. Not even Adam."

Kurt frowned at the mention of that name. Adam had been Kurt's first and only real boyfriend. They met at NYADA and he was sure Adam was the one. Needless to say, it never worked out. The feelings they both had felt at first were the beginning stages of puppy love and a year into the relationship they had both sort of fallen out of it and came to the mutual agreement that they weren't meant for each other. They agreed to remain friends but that didn't work out. It hurt too much.

"I'm serious," Rachel said, "This Blaine, he's something special and you know it."

"Yeah, that's why I'm so freaked out," Kurt said looking off to the side, "because I know what I'm feeling is real and I'm already in too deep to try and let him go."

"Who said you have to let him go?" Rachel asked. "Just do whatever feels right, Kurt. Don't beat yourself up over this. There's no need for that."

Just at that moment there was a knock on the door. Kurt's heart leapt. "It's him."

"Yes, Kurt, it is. Calm down, it's _just_ Blaine."

And that was the problem right there. It was Blaine.

* * *

"Wait, wait," Blaine said wiping at his mouth, "_You_ made this on your own?"

"Yup," Rachel smiled.

"Tell me again why you're on Broadway and not on one of those cooking competitions?"

Rachel laughed, "Stop trying to flatter me, it's not that good."

"Um, yeah it is," Blaine said putting his napkin down.

"I'll clean up since Rachel cooked," Kurt said as he stood gathering the plates. "You guys get the movie started."

Blaine stood, grabbing his own plate and glass and carrying it into the kitchen as Rachel headed into the small living room. He placed it into the sink as he looked at Kurt. "Thank you for having me over," he said, "This is really nice."

"It's no problem," Kurt said, avoiding eye contact as he turned on the water and poured some dish soap onto the sponge. Blaine remained still. Kurt could feel the boy's eyes on him. Kurt swallowed before looking up at him. "What?" he asked softly.

Blaine looked away. "Nothing," he said. "I'll, um, see you out there?"

"Yeah," Kurt agreed, turning his attention back to the dishes at hand.

* * *

There was awkward tension throughout the night. Blaine could feel it and it made him uncomfortable. Kurt was acting strange and Blaine couldn't seem to figure out why. He wondered if it had anything to do with their conversation the other night.

Once the movie was over, Kurt stood from his place beside Rachel and stretched. "I'm gonna take a shower," he yawned.

"Oh," Blaine stood, "I should probably get going, then."

"No," Rachel said quickly, dragging him back down onto the couch. "You don't have to go anywhere."

Blaine blinked at her, "Alright," he said slowly.

Without another word, Kurt was gone. The moment Blaine was sure he heard Kurt's bedroom door shut, he turned to Rachel. "Is he alright?" he asked suddenly.

Rachel's face twisted into a bit of an apologetic smile. "Sort of?" she said.

"What's going on? It is about me?"

Rachel hesitated for a moment but she nodded slightly. "He told me about what you guys talked about the other night. About your agreement."

"Oh." Right. That. He had a feeling it had something to do with that stupid agreement.

"If you ask me, it's a stupid agreement," Rachel said and Blaine smiled. Was she a mind reader too?

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

"Look," Rachel began. "Just…be careful with Kurt. He's been through a lot. Don't…" she looked towards Kurt's bedroom door and pitched her voice a little lower, "Don't tell him I said this to you, but he's gone through a lot of crap, especially when he was younger. We grew up in Ohio and it was really rough on him. He's always been out and proud but the kids at our school didn't like that. He was bullied. Bad. To the point where it became physical and he had to transfer to a new school for a while. But he never changed who he was to fit in. He stuck to what he believed in and he went after his dream of being on Broadway. Things changed, though. I'm not exactly sure why but suddenly one day he said that Broadway wasn't for him.

He's only had one other boyfriend and things ended badly. Maybe that was what changed his mind, I don't know. He was really hurt and after the break up. He didn't really want to be in any committed relationship after that." Rachel smiled at him. "You're different, though. I don't think you've noticed, but when he looks at you...it's, like, to him, you're the only person in the room sometimes. He really cares about you, more than I think you know."

Blaine's stomach swooped at that. He hadn't noticed. Maybe it was because Kurt looked at him when Blaine wasn't paying attention. Or maybe he was an oblivious idiot.

"All I have to say is…just be careful with his heart, ok? Take care of him. He really cares about you."

Blaine nodded looking down at the ground. He felt Rachel touch his arm. When he looked up at her she smiled softly. "I told him he should do whatever feels right," she muttered, "I know there's an age barrier but it's really not that bad," she assured him, "You're going to be eighteen soon anyway, so what the hell?"

Blaine laughed softly. "I really do like him."

"And he likes _you._ Both of you need to stop being idiots and admit to your feelings. You two meeting wasn't chance or coincidence, Blaine. It happened for a reason, you know."

"You really believe that?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Absolutely."

Blaine sighed looking off to the side. Was it too early to ask himself if Kurt was his soul mate?


	7. Chapter 7

It was Rachel's final day out in the country. Later than evening she would be taking a cab back into the city and prepare for her night on Broadway that following Monday night. Blaine wondered what life in the Great White Way was like. He wondered if it was as glamorous as the media made it out to be. He couldn't imagine it was an ugly place because Rachel was on Broadway and she was one of the loveliest people he had the pleasure of meeting. She talked a little too much and could come off as a bit self-absorbed at times but she had a good heart.

Rachel also believed in Kurt and Blaine when they themselves didn't have the courage to do so.

That afternoon Rachel and Kurt invited Blaine over for lunch. Rachel managed to steal Kurt's phone and text Blaine that he should mentally prepare himself for Kurt's cooking because

_Oh my god, it's amazing, you might black out for a second at the sheer deliciousness!_

When Blaine arrived that afternoon the sun was high in the sky, warm and wonderful. It had taken a while, but the temperature was finally dropping and giving signs of the winter ahead. The warm afternoon was something to bask in while it lasted.

Rachel yanked the door open with a huge smile. "You're here!" she greeted as Blaine stepped through the door and shrugged his jacket off with a smile of his own.

"I'm here," he responded, laughing.

"You should have brought your sisters," Rachel pouted, "They were all so cute and sweet."

Blaine shook his head as he walked through the little living room. "It's all an act. They've got you wrapped around their little fingers."

"Well, I'm more than happy to be wrapped around their adorable little fingers," Rachel admitted.

Blaine smiled at her as they walked into the kitchen where Kurt was finishing up lunch preparations. He greeted Blaine with a smile that made his heart tumble for a split second. "What's for lunch?" he asked, stepping up beside Kurt.

Blaine was fairly sure Kurt didn't know about the conversation he and Rachel shared Saturday night. Things weren't as tense as that night and they seemed to fall back into their usual comfortable friendship. Blaine could tell there was still something there. Something unspoken, hanging in the air. Feelings that neither of them dared to mention.

"Cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad and fresh lemonade," Kurt responded as he picked up the salad bowl.

"We should eat outside," Blaine suggested taking the plate of sandwiches.

Rachel gasped, "Yes! That's a great idea, the weather's so nice today!" She grabbed three cups and the pitcher of lemonade and began heading towards the back door, Kurt and Blaine following behind. They set everything down on a small wooden table near the back door.

Their conversation over lunch consisted mostly of Kurt's cooking. He talked about how he used to bake with his mom all the time as a little boy. It was the first time he had mentioned his mom since he told Blaine he had lost her at a young age. It was something Blaine had forgotten up until now. And it was a reminder as to why Blaine liked Kurt so much. He was the first person outside of his family Blaine had an almost immediate connection to. He felt comfortable around Kurt. Really, he felt like Blaine's first true friend.

"Kurt used to cook for us _all_ the time when we were roommates in college," Rachel said, "He taught me most of the recipes I know. I used to be a _horrible_ cook."

"It was almost as bad as your clothes in high school," Kurt said.

Rachel's jaw dropped as she threw an ice cube that Kurt barely dodged with a laugh. "Okay, fine!" Kurt said holding up both hands, "Your cooking was just as bad."

"Shut up!" Rachel giggled.

Blaine watched them smiling helplessly.

* * *

The hours flew by and before any of them knew it, Rachel was setting her suitcase by the front door as a cab pulled up to the house. Blaine stood back, turning his eyes away for a few moments when Rachel and Kurt embraced. He felt like he might have been intruding into an intimate moment between two good friends. Rachel called Blaine's name and opened her arms wide. Wiggling her fingers as she asked, "You didn't think I'd leave without giving you a hug, did you?"

Blaine laughed before stepping up to her and pulling his arms around Rachel.

"Don't forget about what we talked about," she said quietly.

Blaine nodded, lowering his head into her shoulder just briefly. She really was a good person. "Yeah," he promised before they parted and Kurt opened the door.

They walked Rachel to the car, Kurt carrying her bag and placing it into the backseat of the cab. Rachel turned to him and hugged him one last time. "I'm gonna miss you," Blaine heard Rachel say to Kurt, voice catching at the end.

"Me too," Kurt said, his own voice shaking a little. He muttered something Blaine couldn't quite make out and with a small wave in Blaine's direction Rachel was getting into the cab and Kurt was shutting the door for her.

And then she was gone.

"How is it that I feel like I've known her my entire life?" Blaine asked as they walked back into the house.

"That's Rachel for you," Kurt said over his shoulder with a smile.

Once they were inside the cottage, things suddenly felt different. They were alone for the first time in a long time. It wasn't quite an uncomfortable feeling. Just different.

"Is Rachel the only person who knows about, um, us?" Blaine found himself asking when he settled into the couch.

Kurt looked over at him from where he stood in the kitchen. He paused halfway to putting empty glasses away. "Yeah," he said after a few moments. "She's the only person who knows about my feelings. Besides you, of course." He finished putting the cups away and turned, leaning against the counter and looking across the room at Blaine. "There is no 'us', Blaine. We…We talked about that."

"I know," Blaine said almost immediately, feeling like a child. What was he talking about? He _was_ a child. He looked down at the couch cushions then at his hands. Blaine closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. He opened his eyes to look at Kurt. "Wanna watch a movie?" he asked moving to another subject.

Kurt stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding. "Sure," he said.

And the topic was never grazed again.

* * *

Weeks passed and things went back to normal. Blaine didn't go to the cottage as often because of rehearsal. Of course, Kurt understood and he encouraged Blaine to work hard and told him the musical was more important. There weren't as many papers to grade and Kurt promised he could handle it himself. He had done so for several years before.

The musical's opening night was set for December 6th. It was the week before Thanksgiving when things became a little more intense during practice. There were full dance numbers and singing. It was tough, but Blaine managed. He pushed himself and exceeded the director's expectations. He couldn't keep himself from smiling gratefully every time Professor Abrams complimented Blaine.

It was exactly a week before Thanksgiving when Blaine visited Kurt's cottage for the first time in a while to help with grading.

"How was rehearsal today?" Kurt asked as they settled down on the couch, coffee table pulled up close.

"Tiring," Blaine admitted, "But fun. I'm still having trouble believing this is all real."

"Well believe it," Kurt said as he grabbed a stack of papers, "Because it's happening and opening night is slowly approaching."

"I'm so nervous," Blaine admitted, face twisting slightly.

"Don't be," Kurt said, waving his hand dismissively. "You're amazingly talented."

Blaine ducked his head with a sheepish smile.

* * *

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Blaine asked an hour later when Kurt finished grading the final paper.

"Probably just having dinner here. I was supposed to fly down to Ohio to be with my family but I had to cancel at the last minute. I'm behind on the costumes for the show and if I leave for a week, Artie will kill me."

"Why don't you come over?" Blaine asked. "I told my dad you helped me get the part in the show and he wants to meet you."

Kurt looked at him, eyes a little wide. There was a bit of terror in there.

"He…doesn't know anything else if you're worried about that," Blaine said quietly.

Kurt nodded then shook his head, "Yeah. No, of course. I know you wouldn't say anything to your dad." He looked down at the coffee table, setting the paper in his lap down.

"If we're going to be friends, I'd just like you to meet my dad. He's a nice guy, I promise. It's not like you're my boyfr—" Blaine stopped and Kurt looked up at him. "Anyway," he said quickly, "Yes?"

Kurt nodded, "Of course. Thank you," he smiled. "It'll definitely beat a solo Thanksgiving dinner."

* * *

Apparently Rachel had somehow managed to get his number because when Blaine woke up the following morning there were three messages from her, back-to-back.

Good morning sunshine, it's Rachel Berry! I hope you slept well 3

_How are things with Kurt? Every time I bring it up, he changes the subject._

_Let me know and take care, ok sweetie? You guys should come visit me sometime!_

Blaine stared at his phone. He wasn't sure what to respond so he decided not to say anything at all. He had spent the last weeks keeping his mind off of what he couldn't have with Kurt. Instead, he focused on what they had. He almost had himself convinced that it was good enough for him, but then Rachel had to send him those messages and remind him that, no, it definitely wasn't enough.

That afternoon Blaine visited Kurt, but it wasn't for a grading or cleaning session. It was purely personal. They needed to talk because Blaine was sick of pretending like everything was alright.

It was raining but Blaine refused to let that stop him. He showed up at Kurt's doorstep, knocking on the door. When Kurt opened the door his eyes widened with concern as he stepped out of the way letting Blaine move inside, dripping wet.

"What are you _doing?_" Kurt asked narrowing his eyes in confusion.

Blaine was shivering violently, arms wrapped around his body. "We need to talk," he managed to get out through chattering teeth.

"Haven't you ever heard of phones? We both have them, you could have called me instead of walking through this rain like some crazy person! You're gonna get pneumonia, go get changed!" Kurt demanded pulling Blaine towards his bedroom. He dug through his drawers as he spoke, "I really don't understand why you needed to walk through this rain to talk to me, Blaine, you could have gotten hurt."

"It's important," Blaine said from where he stood by the door, "I couldn't talk to you over the phone."

Kurt looked up and sighed, frowning slightly before he handed Blaine some dry clothes. "Here," he said softly before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Blaine looked towards the closed door, staring at it for a few moments before he began peeling off his wet clothes. When he opened the door and Kurt stepped back in, he looked down at Blaine worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked finally.

"I'm tired of pretending," Blaine breathed out.

Kurt remained silent.

"I know you hate doing it as much as I do," Blaine continued, "It's borderline torture. I know I probably seem…like this young, innocent thing to you, but I'm not stupid." His tone wasn't hostile or accusing. It was soft and he hoped it sounded sincere. "I can feel the tension between us. Ever since that conversation we had on Halloween. I can tell you don't feel comfortable around me the way you used to. That date you took me on was incredible and I had a wonderful time. You took me out and treated me to a show and even a drink. It was amazing and I can't remember ever feeling what I did that night. And I can't even begin to explain how happy I was when you told me that it was a date. But it feels like you took it back all of the sudden. It's like…It's like you gave me everything and then just snatched it all away and it _hurt_." He choked out the last word. "I know you're scared because of…our differences, but I know you feel it too, Kurt. I see it, I really do."

Kurt just stared, eyes searching Blaine's face. For a moment, he thought Kurt might reach out for him but instead he turned and walked towards the bed muttering, "I need to sit down for a minute."

Blaine's turned to face him, silently begging for a response. Something. _Anything._ "Kurt," he nearly sobbed. "Please don't tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not."

Blaine let out a small breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Kurt, I'm _crazy_ about you."

Kurt looked up at him, throat bobbing as he swallowed. "I die a little inside every time I see you around that school, you know," Kurt admitted quietly. "_Every single time_ because being around all those people is like this constant reminder. About how you're untouchable."

"I'm not," Blaine said, voice terrifyingly desperate. "Kurt, they can't do anything about it once I turn eighteen. My birthday is in February and after that they can't do _anything._"

Kurt sighed dropping his head and sighing. Blaine rushed up to him, lowering himself to the floor, sitting on his knees. He called Kurt's name softly. He pleaded, reaching out to touch Kurt's hand. He finally looked down into Blaine's eyes, using his free hand to touch Blaine's cheek, fingers soft and soothing against his skin. Blaine leaned into Kurt's touch, hand warm and welcoming. "You're still shaking," Kurt whispered.

Blaine closed his eyes and sighed. "That feels really nice," he muttered turning his face into Kurt's hand and opening his eyes to look up at the man above him.

They remained still, simply staring. Kurt looked torn and Blaine could practically hear him silently battling against himself. Blaine closed his eyes once again with a sigh, turning his face a little more to press a kiss to Kurt's palm. He felt Kurt's body tense for a moment before it slipped into something more comfortable. Blaine turned his head a bit to look up at Kurt who kept his hand gently pressed to Blaine's cheek. He felt Kurt's thumb gently brush over Blaine's mouth.

"I really meant what I said," Blaine whispered against Kurt's thumb. "About being crazy about you."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Kurt said through a sad smile.

Blaine nosed at Kurt's hand before resting his head on his lap. As he closed his eyes he felt Kurt's fingers push through Blaine's damp hair.

"You really are something special, Blaine Anderson."

* * *

Blaine almost fell asleep against Kurt. Before he was tugged into a deep sleep, Kurt coaxed him awake gently rubbing at his arm. Blaine apologized, embarrassed, before he stood and Kurt followed suit. "Go into the living room," he said, "I'll hang these up to dry in the bathroom." Blaine rubbed his face as he nodded and did as Kurt said.

Soon, Kurt was joining him on the couch, turning just slightly, and leaning against the armrest. He opened his arms slightly; "Turn around," Kurt said. Blaine did so and leaned back against Kurt. They shifted a bit as Kurt pulled both arms around Blaine, resting his chin against the top of Blaine's head. They stayed that way for a few silent minutes, listening to the storm rage on outside before Blaine finally spoke. "So what does this mean?"

"To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure," Kurt admitted. "But I do know that I don't want to deny the way I feel anymore. And I don't want you to either. It isn't fair."

Blaine's heart felt light and fluttery. He grabbed at Kurt's arm, tugging it a little tighter around his shoulders.

"I also know that what I'm feeling real. And I know that I want to be with you and no one else."

Blaine swallowed before sitting up, Kurt's arms loosening around him. He turned to face Kurt who, without a moment's hesitation, reached his hand out to grab the back of Blaine's head and pull their mouth's together. It was a little awkward and Blaine was pretty sure Kurt nearly missed his mouth, but the moment their lips touched something seemed to click into place.

Almost like a puzzle piece.


	8. Chapter 8

When Blaine got home that night, he couldn't keep the giddy grin off of his face. His sisters laughed at him and Beth teased him for a straight fifteen minutes. Later that night they all gathered in Blaine's room and bombarded their brother with questions ranging from "Can we visit his pretty cottage?" to the more serious "Are you gonna tell dad…?" Blaine's stomach flipped nervously at that one. He just shrugged and his sisters stared, worried.

That night, Blaine fell asleep listening to 'Teenage Dream.' The following morning he sang it while tending to the gardens with Sam.

"Song stuck in your head?" Sam asked, looking over his shoulder at Blaine.

He paused and glanced over at Sam. "Yeah," he said with a laugh after a beat. "Sort of," he finished in a mutter.

During rehearsal that afternoon Blaine heard word going around about a new student who was apparently the headmaster's son. Blaine thought little of it.

At first.

The following day while Blaine was finishing his work on the floors in the English hall, he was approached by a strange boy. Blaine recognized every student in the academy and this face was surely unfamiliar. The boy, however, smiled at Blaine as if he had known him for a lifetime.

"Hi," the boy greeted. He was tall and lean. His hair was light brown, perfectly coiffed (much like Kurt kept his own hair) and he had the greenest eyes Blaine had ever seen.

"Um, hi," Blaine greeted, dipping the mop into the bucket beside him. He resisted the urge to glance behind him and make sure this boy wasn't talking to someone else. His job while tending to the grounds was to be invisible, as Margaret often reminded him, and most of the students (aside from the kids in West Side Story, recently) did look right through him.

"I watched you yesterday during rehearsal," the boy said through a brilliant smile. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Sebastian Smythe." He held out a hand to shake.

Blaine hesitated briefly, looking at the boy's hand before taking it and shaking. "Blaine," he said.

"Blaine," Sebastian repeated, "you were amazing up there. Hell of a lot better than those other kids. You are so, so very talented. And quite frankly, unfairly attractive."

Blaine blinked, "Thank you, but…" he paused, eyebrows knitting together, "I thought students not involved in the production aren't allowed in rehearsal."

"That is correct," Sebastian confirmed with a smile, "but the school makes little exceptions here and there for me."

Blaine stared, lips parted.

"Sometimes big exceptions, actually." Sebastian shrugged. "Enough about me, though, lets talk about you. It looks like the rumors I heard were true. You really are just a…" his eyes trailed down Blaine's body then, slowly, back up, "groundskeeper." Blaine nearly drew back, uncomfortable at the sudden attention he had from this boy. "You are far too hot and talented to be a groundskeeper."

The compliments had Blaine taken aback. Especially the hot comment. His initial reaction was to laugh sheepishly with a small shake of his head at the sheer ridiculousness that was Sebastian Smythe. "Thanks, I guess," he finally managed to say.

"Oh, you are quite welcome," Sebastian said, winking. With a quick glance at his watch, he took a step forward, touching Blaine's shoulder. "See you around, groundskeeper." And then he was stepping around Blaine, letting his hand linger and slide down Blaine's arm.

"By the way," Sebastian called across the hall. Blaine looked over his shoulder. "You missed a spot." And then he was gone.

* * *

Kurt Hummel did not like Sebastian.

Correction.

Kurt hated Sebastian.

He was a privileged little brat. He was a smart-ass. He was also convinced that he was the hottest piece of ass in the academy. And, apparently, the entire female student body agreed. At least the straight girls. Judging from the razor sharp looks Santana was shooting the boy during Kurt's lecture that afternoon left nothing to the imagination. And maybe Kurt should have said something when Santana told Sebastian to "shut the hell up, 'afores I ends you, Smythe." Maybe it was the responsible, adult thing to do, telling Santana to not say such things but. Maybe Kurt happened to have selective hearing. Maybe Sebastian deserved to be put in his place.

Sebastian was the stepson of Headmaster Newton. He was a transfer from an elite academy in the city. His transfer, however, was something that was most definitely not planned. News between professors at Fosters traveled quickly. Especially when it was juicy gossip like Sebastian's story.

There was a scandal.

Sebastian was a flirt. He was gay and attractive and he was the type of boy who threw himself around. The academy he transferred from was an all boys school. And Sebastian took advantage of that. He slept around with other boys, probably serving as a sort of "experiment" for those who were questioning. Eventually word got back to the administration. They were outraged. He was to be expelled. But of course Headmaster Newton could not have such dirt on his hands. In a matter of days, Sebastian Smythe was officially enrolled in Foster's Academy.

Kurt had to walk on eggshells around Sebastian. As much as he hated to admit it, the kid had power and that sucked. He couldn't risk anything. Headmaster Newton had been incredibly lenient when it came to allowing Blaine audition for the show. He had pulled strings for Kurt. So, in turn, Kurt was in no position to piss the headmaster off. Especially when Blaine's happiness rode on that. So Kurt had to refrain from snapping at Sebastian. No matter how badly he wanted to punch that smirky little meerkat face of his.

* * *

It was a sunny afternoon. Kurt made sandwiches for himself and Blaine. They bundled up in their jackets and ate out back on the grass.

"By any chance," Blaine started as he bit into his sandwich, "do you have a new student in any of your classes?"

Kurt paused mid chew, swallowing with a nod.

"I thought so…" Blaine mumbled, mostly to himself, "This guy I had never seen before just randomly started talking to me earlier today. And I couldn't tell if he was new or if I had never noticed him before."

Kurt took a sip of his sweet tea. He paused for a moment before saying, "Did he say what his name was?"

"Mm, yeah," Blaine said as he munched on his sandwich, "Sebastian Smith or something?"

Kurt's eyes widened, "Sebastian Smythe?"

"Yeah," Blaine's eyebrows hiked, "He's in one of your classes?"

"Yes!" Kurt almost shrieked, causing Blaine to draw back with a laugh, "He's such a little…such a little turd!"

Blaine laughed harder, "Oh my god!" he said, falling onto his back, "I can't believe you just called someone a 'turd'! I thought you were way too proper for such words." He draped an arm over his eyes to shield the sun.

"I guess you don't know me very well then," Kurt said with a grin as he set his sandwich down on his plate and leaned down to press a kiss on Blaine's mouth.

Blaine practically squeaked in response before laughing softly and moving his arm to rest beside his head. He smiled up at Kurt. "Mm, stay right there," he said, closing his eyes. "You're the perfect sun shield."

"Oh, is that all I am to you?" Kurt questioned with a grin.

"Yup, it's the only reason I like you, really." Blaine responded, opening one eye before Kurt laughed and kissed him again and rolled onto his back beside Blaine.

* * *

Kurt ended up dozing off for a few minutes, skin soaking up the sun. He was fairly certain Blaine had done the same, judging from the way he became very still.

If there was one thing Kurt had learned about Blaine it was that he was always moving. He was a ball of energy. It was a beautiful thing, catching Blaine when he slept. He always looked so peaceful, so at ease. So gorgeous.

Kurt rolled on to his side, looking up at Blaine. He examined his profile, the slope of his nose, the curves of his mouth and the gentle swoop of his neck. Blaine truly was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

The moment Blaine began to stir, Kurt quickly looked away. They may have been…well, whatever they were (boyfriends?) but creepily staring at Blaine while he slept was still fairly weird.

When Blaine sat up, rubbing at his face, Kurt smiled up at him. "Ready to go inside?"

Blaine nodded and they gathered the plates and glasses.

Once inside, Blaine brought Sebastian up again. When he did, Kurt couldn't help but sigh quietly at the mention of the boy's name.

"That guy is a piece of work," Blaine said with a chuckle as they set the dishes into the sink. Kurt made an attempt at starting up the water to wash them but Blaine nudged him away. Kurt looked down at Blaine to watch the boy shake his head. "I've got it," he said softly.

Kurt couldn't help but smile as his stomach flipped at that simple but so very domestic action.

"He just started talking to me like he knew me," Blaine continued as Kurt hoisted himself up on the counter. "At first I thought he was saying 'Hi' to someone behind me. I was kind of shocked when I saw no one else around."

"What did he say to you?" Kurt asked, watching Blaine's hands work at the dishes.

"He, um, complimented me on my performance during rehearsal. And he also said that I was too hot to be a groundskeeper." Blaine laughed at that, shaking his head.

Hearing that last part made the hairs at the back of Kurt's head stand. He suddenly felt this possessive urge overtake him and he wanted to make sure Sebastian knew that Blaine was his. But as quickly as that possessive nature emerged, Kurt pushed it away. As far as the outside world was concerned, Kurt and Blaine were friends and definitely nothing more.

But still…

"I really don't like that kid," Kurt muttered, staring down at his feet. His hands gripped tightly at the edges of the counter. "_Really_ don't like him. At all." He heard the water shut off as Blaine set the dishes aside to dry. Suddenly, Blaine was standing in front of him. Kurt lifted his head a little to meet Blaine's eyes. He was smiling.

"What?" Kurt mumbled as he drew back a bit.

"You're jealous," Blaine mused.

Kurt said nothing. Instead, he turned his head to look out the window.

"You are," Blaine laughed. "You are, aren't you?" He moved closer, placing his hands on Kurt's knees.

"Alright, fine," Kurt snapped, looking back down at Blaine. "I am, ok? Is that a problem?"

Blaine smirked. "No," he said. "No, not at all. I, um…" He shrugged, "I kind of like it. It means you really care."

"Of course I care, stupid," Kurt muttered, reaching up to touch the side of Blaine's face. He leaned into it closing his eyes and sighing happily. Kurt slid down, now trapped between the counter and Blaine's body. Which was a lovely place to be. "I really, really like you, if you haven't noticed," Kurt reminded Blaine in a whisper before kissing him sweetly.

* * *

"Hey, hot stuff."

Blaine blinked, turning to watch Sebastian slowly approaching the stage. There was no group rehearsal tonight but Blaine had decided to run through a few scenes by himself. It was a short day at work today and he had missed a few of his cues last week. Margaret had given him the keys to the theater and Blaine had let himself in.

"Hey," Blaine greeted as Sebastian looked up at him, squinting with a smile against the lights.

"Looks like we're going to be spending a lot more time together in the next coming weeks," he informed Blaine.

"We are?" Blaine asked.

"The boy playing Bernardo took a nasty fall down the main staircase this morning. Broken leg and sprained wrist. Truly tragic. So, I told Mr. Abrams that I was more than happy to take over. I've done the show three times before so I'm more than qualified."

Blaine stared, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Oh," he finally said. "Well, congratulations. I guess."

"I look forward to working with you, Blaine," Sebastian said with that perfect smile of his.

"Likewise," Blaine replied as Sebastian turned to walk out of the theater. Blaine watched his retreating form, for a second time at a complete loss for words.

* * *

"Oh my _god,_ he's what?" Kurt practically yelped into the phone when Blaine called him later that night. "_Why?_"

"I guess he really wants to be in the show. He's willing to join having missed weeks of rehearsal."

"He probably _pushed_ that poor kid down the stairs," Kurt spat out.

"C'mon, I seriously doubt that," Blaine said.

"_Doubt it_?" Kurt snapped, "Sebastian is pure evil! You probably think he isn't even attracted to you."

"But he flirts with ev—"

"Blaine," Kurt cut in, "Don't. You are far too kind and understanding for your own good."

Blaine laughed softly, a little embarrassed.

"But I guess that's why I like you so much. I need someone to balance me out."

"Does that mean I can stick around for a bit?" Blaine asked with a smile and a bit of a flirty tilt to his voice.

"Yes. Definitely," Kurt replied.

* * *

Having Kurt as the costume designer was great. Correction-it was awesome. Because that meant Blaine could see Kurt every single day after school. He especially loved the fact that Kurt was the one that had the keys to the theater because that meant they had it to themselves for half an hour every afternoon.

"C'mere," Kurt said from where he sat off to the side of the stage, behind the curtains. He had been watching Blaine rehearse alone this entire time, offering him a few pointers here and there and marveling at how incredible he thought Blaine was.

Blaine walked over to Kurt, kneeling down in front of him. He smiled when Kurt reached out, pulling Blaine closer. And his heart nearly stopped when Kurt pulled him a little closer until Blaine was practically in his lap. And suddenly they were kissing, which was something Blaine was definitely not opposed to.

They were taking things slow. It wasn't something they had necessarily spoken about out loud. It was more of a silent, mutual understanding. Blaine was new to all of this and he was fairly certain Kurt wanted to take things slow but sometimes-especially now-Blaine just wanted everything. His hormones were going insane and he just _wanted._

Blaine nearly shuddered when he felt Kurt's mouth open against his and he whimpered when he felt Kurt's tongue brush his lip. It felt like too much and not enough all at once.

"Alright guys, dress rehearsal is today!"

Artie's voice echoed through the empty theater and in half a second, Kurt and Blaine were pushing away from each other. Blaine looked over at Kurt who was wiping his bottom lip with his thumb and staring at Blaine. Even from where Blaine was he could see how blown his pupils were.

"Kurt, you in here?"

"Yeah," Kurt called back, his voice so even and calm. He stood, walking out from behind the curtains. Blaine watched him before standing as well and-he looked down and felt his cheeks flare up with heat. Needless to say he would stay behind for a few minutes until he calmed down.

Rehearsal went well. Except for the fact that Sebastian was flirting with Blaine every chance he got. And every time Blaine looked at Kurt he could see him watching Sebastian with a blank expression. Though Blaine was certain that if looks could kill-Well, Sebastian would have been dead long ago.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this last update took me longer than usual. Life kind of decided to throw a bunch of craziness at me at once. Things are finally starting to fall back into place so hopefully I'll be able to get back to writing more often.**

**Anyway, thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I appreciate every one who is giving this story a chance and I really hope it's being enjoyed. Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned it already, but if anyone out there has a tumblr and would like to follow me, I'm juiceboxprince . tumblr . com!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Sebastian Smythe was persistent.

The boy was by far the most persistent person Kurt had ever met, even more so than Rachel Berry. When he zoned in on something that he wanted, he really went for it. Now that was a trait Kurt could admire in a person. Though Kurt refused to admire such trait when that thing that Sebastian wanted, happened to be Blaine.

In between classes, Kurt would witness Sebastian in action. It was almost predatory, the way he would look at Blaine. The way Sebastian would approach him, practically sauntering over to him. I_His_/I Blaine. And of course, Blaine was polite. Always friendly and smiling. Never sneering at him the way Kurt might have. It was almost infuriating, how kind Blaine could be sometimes. But Kurt wouldn't dare speak such things. He knew it would only make him sound cruel and selfish.

Instead, Kurt bit his tongue. He sat back and watched bitterly as Sebastian made attempts at snatching Blaine away.

-o-o-o-o-

"Why are you so nervous?" Blaine asked through a small laugh as he tightened the tie around Kurt's neck.

They were standing in the middle of Kurt's bedroom. Blaine had surprised Kurt that morning with a visit and a pie he and his sisters had baked the night before. They would be driving to Blaine's house soon for Thanksgiving dinner and Kurt had been tripping over things and acting strange all morning.

"Why do you _think_, Blaine? I'm about to have dinner with your family for the first time. I'm going to be in the same room as your father for more than five minutes."

"So?" Blaine asked as he rested both hands on Kurt's shoulders.

"So," Kurt continued, "I'm sort of freaking out because something stupid might slip out. Like, 'Hi, my name is Kurt Hummel and your son and I are secretly dating.'"

Blaine rolled his eyes and leaned up to press a kiss to Kurt's mouth who immediately melted into it. With a sigh, Kurt pressed his forehead against Blaine's and sighed. "I think I'd be nervous no matter what because he's your dad…"

"It'll be fine," Blaine promised before nuzzling Kurt's cheek and kissing it. "C'mon," he said as he tugged on Kurt's hand. "We'll be late."

* * *

"KURT'S HERE!"

He was uncertain as to which sister screamed his arrival, but he was convinced that she was far too tiny to pack such a loud voice. Moments after Blaine shut the door behind him, Blaine's father stepped out of the kitchen to smile over at his son and Kurt. "Dinner's not ready quite yet, but feel free to take a seat in the living room. I think the girls are watching cartoons, but you can put on whatever you like." Blaine definitely had his father's smile.

Kurt followed Blaine's father into the kitchen, setting down the bottle of wine he brought before Blaine led him into the living room. Two of the girls were on the floor, watching an episode of Spongebob rather intensely, the rest sat on the couch.

When Kurt sat down, Bri, who Kurt remembered to be the youngest looked away from the TV and up at him. "Ohmigod, Kurt's actually here?" she asked before crawling over to him. "Kurt, Kurt! You wanna see what I drew yesterday? Hold on, I'll be right back!" And then she was rushing off, returning in seconds with a piece of paper in her hand. "It's a Disney princess I made up!" she informed him as she handed Kurt the drawing. "Her name is Brianna. Ok, well maybe she's supposed to be me as a Disney princess, but whatever, ok?"

"She's beautiful," Kurt said as he examined the drawing. It was actually very well done, far more advanced than something any seven year old should have been capable of. "You're very talented, Bri. This is a great drawing," he handed the paper back to her outstretched hand. "Will you draw me as a Disney prince?"

"Well, you're kind of already a Disney prince. You look just like one, but yeah! I'm gonna start on it right now," she informed Kurt as she crawled across living room to pull out a plastic box from a cabinet under the television.

Just then, he felt Blaine lean over to him and whisper, "From now on I think I'll call you my Disney prince." Kurt's cheeks flared up with heat as he turned to look at Blaine who was smiling, eyed already turned back to the television.

* * *

On the outside, Blaine kept his cool. He had his excellent middle school acting teacher to thank for that. But on the inside, he was screaming. But he had to keep calm because if he lost his nerve, there was a possibility of Kurt passing out or something equally dramatic. The tension was rolling off of Kurt in waves as they watched television.

Thankfully, by the time they all took their seats at the table, that tension seemed to fade. Blaine could tell it was still there though. He knew Kurt well enough by this point to see right through him.

Regardless, having Kurt over for Thanksgiving was wonderful. Seeing him at the table, interacting with his family, laughing at jokes and making polite conversation with his father made Blaine's heart swell. It felt domestic and for a few minutes, Blaine pretended that their relationship wasn't a secret. And that everyone knew Kurt was his boyfriend. And they were a family.

"So, Kurt, how long have you been working at the academy? Must have been right after I left the job, I don't remember seeing you around."

Kurt dabbed his napkin at his mouth and took a sip of his wine. "This is only my second year at Fosters," Kurt admitted, "But I've been teaching for ten."

Blaine's dad's eyebrows shot up, "How old are you, son?"

"Thirty-two," Kurt said with a small laugh.

"Were you one of those kids who always knew he wanted to be a teacher?"

Kurt shook his head, "I kind of fell into it. Rather quickly, but I fell into it. And I'm happy with it. When I was growing up, I had dreams of being on Broadway when I was stuck in little old Lima, Ohio, but things changed when I was in college."

"Well, good for you, Kurt." The statement was genuine and with a smile.

Blaine was watching them converse from his place next to Kurt. It was as nerve wracking as watching a tennis match. Everything was going smoothly, though, and after about ten minutes, Blaine was completely relaxed. He managed to convince himself that this was one of the best Thanksgivings since before his mother had passed away.

* * *

After dinner, Blaine's sisters had dragged Kurt into the living room to play a round of Uno. Kurt had gone willingly, excusing himself from the table, promising he would be back to help clean up. Blaine's father waved him off with a smile. Blaine had to admit, it was nice having someone else receive all the girls' energetic attention.

Half way through rinsing the dishes, Blaine's father spoke up from across the small kitchen.

"He's handsome."

Those two words made Blaine's eyes bulge wide open. Thankfully, his back was turned at that exact moment. Hesitantly, he turned his head, blinking in his dad's direction.

"You have a crush on him, don't you?" His father asked as he opened the refrigerator door and began putting leftovers away. The question was straight to the point and Blaine couldn't tell if he was disappointed or accusing or…

"I…" Blaine trailed off as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. He could feel the blush spread from his cheeks and down to his neck.

"You're my son," his dad said, peeking around the door. Blaine looked over at him. He was smiling. "I know you better than anyone on this earth. And I know you have a crush on him."

"Is that—Is that a problem?" he asked almost defensively as he looked back down at the dishes, scrubbing vigorously at the same dish that was already clean.

Blaine's dad chuckled, shaking his head. "No," he responded, "I just wanted you to be aware that I know you better than anyone on this earth, Blaine."

Blaine bowed his head, focusing on the dishes like his life depended on it. "OK," he muttered, "Thanks for making things totally awkward just then, dad, really, thanks."

"Just doing my job."

Blaine groaned.

* * *

"Heyyyy, you wanna see my room?!"

Bri was practically climbing on Kurt's back when Blaine walked into the living room. He hurried over to them, prying the little girl off. "No climbing on guests," Blaine warned.

"Kurt doesn't mind, right Kurt?" Bri piped up.

Kurt opened his mouth to respond, but Blaine cut in before he could say anything. "It doesn't matter. Don't do it. You'll get hurt."

"Fine, whatever! Gosh. _Anyway,_ Kurt's gonna see mine and Bailey's room. Come on, Kurt," Bri said as she grabbed Kurt's hand. He giggled a little nervously and Blaine followed. He had tortured Kurt enough by leaving him alone with his sisters for twenty minutes. He wasn't going to let him go into the girls' room alone. Knowing Bri, she might try to give Kurt a make over.

It took Bri almost half an hour to give Kurt a tour of her small room. Blaine didn't think that was possible, but she had no problem proving him wrong. Kurt did an excellent job at looking incredibly interested and Blaine couldn't help but laugh out loud when Bri asked him if Kurt would play house with her. Though his laughter died down when Kurt turned to him and asked if he could give him a tour of Blaine's room instead.

Blaine stared for a moment before nodding. "Sure," he said finally with a small smile that Kurt returned immediately.

Bedrooms were personal. They were intimate and said so much about a person. Of course, Blaine had nothing to hide, but he couldn't help but feel a little tingle of nerves as he allowed Kurt in. He peeked over to look at Kurt's reaction to see him smiling softly. "Not your typical teenaged boy room," Kurt said as he walked along the walls, taking in the framed picture of two men fencing. "Then again, you're not an average teenaged boy." The statement was quiet, but there was something else weaved in there. Something dangerously close to flirty.

Blaine sat on the edge of his bed as he watched Kurt stop at his bookshelf and examine it. "Wicked," he said, looking back at Blaine with an amused arch of the brow. "Did you cry?"

"Like a baby," Blaine responded.

Kurt giggled. Then something else caught his attention. The record player hiding in the corner of Blaine's room. "Oh my god, Blaine. Does this thing work?" he asked, fingers brushing at it. "It looks ancient."

"It belonged to my great grandmother," Blaine responded. "She took really good care of it, so yeah. I have to keep my records up here, though." He stood, grabbing his desk chair and dragging it over to the bookshelf to reach a box at the very top. "It was a birthday present. A few weeks after I got it, I came home to find my two youngest sisters playing Frisbee with the records. I almost screamed. Luckily, it wasn't damaged. I would have been so upset if anything happened these records." Stepping down from the chair, he placed the box on the bed as Kurt walked over and began going through records. Blaine took a seat on the edge of his bed. Bri ran into the room, crawled on to the bed and clung on to her brother's back.

"You're gonna play some music?" she asked excitedly to which Blaine nodded in response and turned his head to kiss the side of her head.

"Donna Summer's Greatest Hits, this is amazing, Blaine," Kurt chuckled as he pulled the large disc out of the sleeve and placed it on the player.

"I love Donna Summer!" Bri squealed as she stood up on the bed.

Kurt arched a brow and smiled at Bri, "Good taste. You've taught her well," he said to Blaine.

The first song started up. Blaine grinned goofily and Kurt laughed with a shake of his head.

"_Last dance. Last chance, for love. Yes, it's my last chance, for romance, tonight…"_ Blaine sang along. _"I need you, by me, beside me, to guide me." _He stood and turned to grab Bri and pick her up she squeaked out a laugh. _"To hold me, to scold me…"_Then he put her down, looked at Kurt, eyes going a little dark. _" 'Cause when I'm bad I'm so so bad."_

And then the music picked up, Blaine quickly turned to look down at Bri, grabbing both of her hands and dancing with her.

"_So lets dance, the last dance. Let's dance this last dance, tonight!"_

Then Blaine was forcing Kurt to join in. And eventually, Kurt joined in on the singing and jumping. By the end of the song, they were all giggling, Bri jumping on the bed and dancing along.

That night, Blaine began to understand what falling in love felt like.


End file.
